- unitid
-
{"value"=>"186718", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"b22254747", "type"=>"local_b"}
{"value"=>"Sc MIRS Europe 1997-25", "type"=>"local_call"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"circa 1919-1920", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1919/1920", "certainty"=>"approximate"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"James Reese Europe audio collection"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"4 audio_recordings", "unit"=>"audio_recordings"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Musician, composer, conductor, organizer, and recording artist James Reese Europe (February 22, 1880 - May 9, 1919) was a pioneer of the ragtime and jazz genres, and the first African American officer to lead combat troops into battle. The collection contains four audio recordings of music relating to Europe's career as a musician, dating from circa 1919-1920."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Europe, James Reese, 1881-1919", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Musician, composer, conductor, organizer, and recording artist James Reese Europe (February 22, 1880 - May 9, 1919) was a pioneer of the ragtime and jazz genres, and the first African American officer to lead combat troops into battle.</p> <p>Europe championed African American musicians and music by organizing and directing orchestras, and speaking about African American music in the press. In 1902, he organized the Clef Club– a booking agency, union of Black musicians, and fraternal organization. In 1912, the Clef Club Orchestra, under the direction of Europe, performed at Carnegie Hall where they caught the attention of white audiences. From 1914 to 1916, Europe's Society Orchestra toured throughout the United States and overseas.</p> <p>Europe is credited with introducing jazz to France. During World War I, Europe enlisted and rose to the position of lieutenant. As an officer, he was assigned to the Fifteenth Regiment of the New York National Guard where he formed a regimental brass band. In 1918, Europe and the band were deployed to France where the Fifteenth Regiment served under the French military because white American soldiers refused to fight alongside them. Europe and his band toured throughout the country and their performances were received enthusiastically.</p> <p>The Fifteenth Regiment was later renamed the 369th US Infantry Regiment, and in recognition of the unit's bravery on the battlefield, they became known as the Harlem Hellfighters. The band recorded under the new name of Lieutenant Jim Europe's 369th US Infantry (\"Hell Fighters\") Band. Their original sound, incorporating ragtime and syncopated styles, garnered the admiration of European musicians, and resulted in a recording contract with the Pathé Frères Phonograph Company.</p> <p>Europe died in 1919 after he was stabbed by Herbert Wright, a drummer in his band, during a backstage altercation.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection contains four 78 rpm shellac records of music relating to Europe's career as a musician, dating from circa 1919-1920. They are organized alphabetically by record title. They include songs written, arranged, or performed by James Reese Europe and Lieutenant Jim Europe's 369th US Infantry (\"Hell Fighters\") Band, as well as Europe's collaborators, the African American musicians and composers Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>James Reese Europe, Jr., 1997.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>See the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division for the James Reese Europe collection, Sc MG 616.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>See the Photographs and Prints Division for the James Reese Europe photograph collection, Sc Photo James Reese Europe Collection.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Collection inventoried by <span class=\"name\">Nathan Evans</span>. Collection processed and described by <span class=\"name\">Lyric Evans-Hunter</span>, archivist. Finding aid published in <span class=\"date\">2025</span>.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>At the time of publishing, the shellac records in this collection are not available pending digitization.</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>See the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division for <span class=\"title\">A Life in Ragtime: a Biography of James Reese Europe</span> by Reid Badger, Sc E 95-171.</p>"}
- sponsor
-
{"value"=>"An anonymous donor funded preliminary processing for this collection. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported a research library-wide grant for the digitization, and funded the Schomburg for the description and production of the finding aid as part of The Next Century of Black Studies Project."}
- revisiondesc
-
{"value"=>"Extent notes updated to facilitate public access by Lyric Benjamin-Hunter.", "date"=>"2026-04-22"}
- date_start
-
1919
- keydate
-
1919
- date_end
-
1920
- date_inclusive_start
-
1919
- date_inclusive_end
-
1920
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"James Reese Europe audio collection, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division, The New York Public Library"}