1st Lieutenant James Reese Europe and the 369th Infantry Regiment Band (the Harlem Hellfighters) play for patients in the American Red Cross Hospital No. 9, Paris, France, September 4, 1918.

Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer

Series: Photographs of American Military Activities

Image description: 1st Lieutenant Europe conducts a brass band who are standing in rows outside a building. All of the men are wearing WWI Army uniforms. A sign in the background reads HOTEL TUNIS. This regiment, the “Harlem Hellfighters,” was made up of all Black soldiers. 

Transcription:

SUBJECT: 111SC 218880

NUMBER E

see 20417

2nd Lt. G. E. Stone, S.C.

PHOTOGRAPHER

REC'D 10-14-18

TAKEN 9-4-18

FIRST LT. JAMES E. EUROPE OF the 369th Regt. Inf. playing for the patients of Hospital No. 9. Sgt. Wood Andrews is the first musician on the right and plays the slide trombone. American Red Cross Hospital No. 9, Paris, France.

James Reese Europe & the Harlem Hellfighters

James Reese Europe: Pioneering Bandleader and Musical Trailblazer

Introduction: James Reese Europe was a pivotal figure in the history of American music, a bandleader, composer, and arranger who helped shape the sound of the early 20th century. Born one hundred and forty-three years ago on February 22, 1881, in Mobile, Alabama, Europe rose to prominence during the ragtime era and became one of the most influential African American musicians of his time. His…

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The Fernweh Saga by @lacunafiction - Davor edition

I-I think Ms. Verner doesn't like him...😳

Davor "Dove" Kovač 🐝 RO: Becca Warrick

Personality: cautious // aloof // pessimistic // flirtatious (only towards Becca ...and Reese??) Traits: head // independent // resistance // believer Past affinity: math Primary ability: extrasensory awareness Past susceptibility: forward. 'it’s better to push forward. don’t look back on the past when you have new places to be and things to achieve.' <<< his motto

🕊️ Fernweh: Davor lived a happy life there and didn't think about leaving in the future. Maybe for some trips, but he knew it would always be his place, his safe place... 'It was a mistake to come back here.' - that was his first thought when he tried to fall asleep on the first night in Fernweh. The nightmares came back as he thought they would. He wants to leave as soon as possible because he feels that it is not safe for Becca to be here.

🕊️ Gramps Dan: That was his gramps who taught Davor how to play the guitar. As a young child, Davor always admired him and believed he was the most intelligent person in the world. After the death of his parents and how his grandfather treated him, he was devastated and angry. He wanted answers soo badly but didn't get any. He lived loathing his grandfather ever since. The news of his passing stirred up a lot of negative emotions that Davor had previously managed to suppress. At the beginning of the story he couldn't care less about his grandfather, but because of his journal he started to believe him. Things that his granfather lived through made Davor even more angry at this messy town …but he's willing to forgive his gramps…

🐝 Becca Warrick: It was a ...funny story that brought both of them together and they look after each other ever since. He considers Becca as his precious (not in a negative-possessive way) treasure, he literally can't let anything bad happen to her. That was also she who came up with the nickname 'Dove'... (and she's literally the only person who calls him that, others wouldn't dare...). He had feelings for her for quite some time but didn't act on it... until now. Although he didn't express it, he felt very nervous about Becca being in the town where he grew up. He was curious (but also scared) about what she could think of this town. He felt like he was revealing more of himself to her…. and he forgot about any worries pretty fast, because the town started being weird as fu--.

🕊️ Reese Verner: Back then Davor was quite cheerful and enjoyed competing with Reese regularly. They teased each other a lot. Davor always thought that Reese had a crush on him, was it true tho? donut know, but he certainly had. ...why does he appear in his nightmares? Maybe the crush stage never disappeared...? Seeing him again was a nice experience, sure... but ignoring the circumstances, he is still unsure if it was worth it and is struggling with his thoughts… Would it be worth it to return to Fernweh just to see him... again? welp, good thing he doesn't have to think about it much, am I right?

🕊️ Sofia Dorran: The two of them maybe did not have a strong relationship, but he knew Sofia is the ideal person for engaging in intelligent conversations. He enjoyed spending time with her, solving the puzzles that gramps created for them both. Davor wasn't a fan of fantasy books, but she managed to change his mind about them. Davor knows that Sofia did take good care of his grandfather, but he still doesn't quite know if he's grateful for that or wished she spent her time more... valuably... He was tempted to ask Sofia to borrow that book she found in his grandfather's bedroom, but he thought better of it. It's better to leave Fernweh… Even so, his curiosity wasn't properly fed.

🕊️ James Corvin: Maybe not brothers by blood, but definitely brothers by choice. Davor treated him as if he was the brother he always wanted to have. Back then Davor always placed a high value on his family… until now. At the time, Davor tended to be more impulsive and James was usually the one who kept him from getting into trouble (which often involved Reese). It was really hard, for both of them, to see each other after so long. Their first interaction was pretty awkward... I would even say that most of their interactions were . James noticed how Davor changed the question is: for the better or worse? I don't even know. Everyone can sense, that things around them are different now, and they aren't as close as before. Will it change?

🕊️ Alek Corvin: …To say that Alek wasn't a fan of Davor would be an understatement. Was it because James spent most of his time focusing only on Davor trying to get him out of trouble? Did Alek observe any possessiveness from Davor towards James? Or maybe simply because of the bond between those two, which was truly something that others would envy and desire? Davor never considered it, especially when he left Fernweh permanently. :)) As you can imagine, Alek doesn't seem very happy about Davor's return… But he took an interest in his new friend, Becca, which did not go unnoticed by Davor and he isn't really happy about it.

🕊️ The Waitress: Oh boy, it seems that Davor has taken up a new hobby, which is glaring harshly at the waitress. He finds her mistrustful and he smells trouble. Had they met when he was younger, there may have been a slim chance of them getting along.

🕊️ Waffles!: So um… Davor has a little issue with dogs and because of that his relationship with Waffles isn't as wonderful as I wish it would be... However, I believe that with time and help from Becca, they will eventually become friends.

Hey Al!! I'm not sure if you remember me, but I really enjoyed the songs you recommended me! I just had a couple more questions for you: being a radio host, how many different cultures did you hear about when you were alive? Do you have any you enjoyed the most?

" My my, aren't you just a little bundle of cheer! Hmm... Well, of course there was the culture of the Southern States. Oh and there was quite a few African American performers like James Reese Europe. He was an absolute legend! Oh! And can't forget about the blues! "

Oh yeah, they specifically wanted an african american drummer and pianist.. interesting cause the theatre is more of a horror/peep show based on the posters so why the focus on african american music i wonder hmmm

Historians describe the introduction of the new Black American sounds, coined later as jazz, in two waves after the First and the Second World War. In the first wave, both Paris and Berlin of the Weimar Republic became capitals of jazz thanks to Black American bands that either arrived near the end of or after the war to play for soldiers and civilians. One very well-known example was the James Reese band. Many artists remained afterwards to make a living. Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington and Louis Amstrong, returned regularly all throughout their careers to Europe with every new assemble and production they put in place. It’s commonly believed that Europeans embraced jazz not only because it was Black American and was considered ‘exotic’, but also because it marked the secession from the older European culture. In parallel, it served the modernism zeitgeist and the avant-garde agenda, with futurism and surrealism aesthetics. …. First in France in the 1920s and later after the Second War War in the UK, labour laws limited Black Americans performances in Europe to protect the white European market.

1919 Group portrait of bandleader and soldier James Reese Europe and two of his musician-soldiers from the military band of 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as “The Harlem Hellfighters”. From The Maryland Center for History and Culture.

Memphis Blues

performed by Lt. James Reese Europe and the 369th "Harlem Hellfighters" Band, World War I

Lt. James Reese Europe and his regiment of African-American National Guardsmen, the 369th Infantry (the “Harlem Hellfighters”), returned in triumph from the Great War. They marched past cheering crowds all the way from the southern tip of Manhattan to Harlem, the city’s largest African-American neighborhood, which was at the time poised on the verge of the cultural flowering known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Lt.James Reese Europe leads the 369th Infantry band as it entertains wounded American soldiers at a Paris hospital, 1918. Courtesy Library of Congress

🗽☀️ #ArtIsAWeapon

This weekend's @summerstage events in #Harlem, #CentralPark and #ConeyIsland feature #HipHop, #Jazz, #Salsa and more.

Details for each event reposted from @summerstage:

August 18

▪︎We’re in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park with @thejasonmoran & The Big Bandwagon reflecting on the life of James Reese Europe, a jazz pioneer who fought on the front lines in France with the Harlem Hellfighters - one of the first African-American regiments to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. This FREE performance is in association with @jazzmobileny. 7:00 PM.

August 19

▪︎Don’t miss a FREE film screening of Mixtape, a documentary that explores the history and impact of the mixtape in hip-hop culture... This night will also feature DJ sets by genre veterans like @legendarydjrong, @djdoowop, @djmistercee, @djtonytouch, and @twfbrucie_b. #MarcusGarveyPark 5:00 PM

August 20

▪︎We’re bringing you more hip-hop in Marcus Garvey Park with Hip-Hop 50: Native Tongues Edition. This FREE show will feature artists from the Native Tongues including @junglebrothers4life, @darealmonielove, @blacksheepdres, @chialibx, and @kooldjredalert with host @videomusicbox. 5:00 PM

▪︎ Everyone’s favorite dance party, @everydayppl, is back in #CentralPark. Join us for a FREE night full of music, culture, and community. Plus, catch a special performance from @ladiesofhiphop presented with @worksandprocess. 5:00 PM

Want to see the show from the best seats in the house? You can enter to win a pair of VIP tickets through @donewyorkcity at donyc.com/summerstagebestseatsonus

▪︎Salsa singer @josealbertoelcanario “El Canario” is coming to @coneyamp with The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra with a tribute performance of legends Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente led by their sons, @tirodjr and Machito Jr. This lineup also includes @uptownvinylsupreme, @djandy23, and flutist Karen Joseph & Mambocha in association with @jazzdotorg. 4:00 PM

#Summerstage2023 #Summerstage #FreeInNYC #OutdoorMusic #TraScapades

James Reese Europe (February 22, 1881 – May 9, 1919), known as Jim Europe, was an American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer. He was the leading figure in the African American music scene of New York City. Eubie Blake called him the "Martin Luther King of music". He organized the Clef Club, a society for African Americans in the music industry. In 1912, the club made history when it played a concert at Carnegie Hall for the benefit of the Colored Music Settlement School. The Clef Club Orchestra, while not a jazz band, was the first band to play proto-jazz at Carnegie Hall. It is difficult to overstate the importance of that event in the history of jazz in the US – it was 12 years before the Paul Whiteman and George Gershwin concert at Aeolian Hall, and 26 years before Benny Goodman's famed concert at Carnegie Hall. The Clef Club's performances played music written solely by African American composers, including Harry T. Burleigh and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. His orchestra included Will Marion Cook, who had not been in Carnegie Hall since his performance as a solo violinist. Cook was the first African American composer to launch full musical productions, fully scored with a cast and story every bit as classical as any Victor Herbert operetta. He was known for his outspoken personality and unwillingness to bend to musical conventions, particularly in his insistence on playing his style of music. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/Co9sxPNL2hd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Colored Jazz Band and Leader back with Colored 15th New York

Record Group 165: Records of the War Department General and Special StaffsSeries: American Unofficial Collection of World War I PhotographsFile Unit: Colored Troops

This black and white photograph that is pasted on a card shows African American soldiers sitting on the deck of a ship.  They hold musical instruments like tubas, clarinets, and saxophones.  Several appear to be playing the instruments.  On the left side a few soldiers stand with drums.  A large bass drum gives the name of the regiment. 

Original caption:

NUMBER CN. 3789 SYMBOL 165-WW-127-22 AU DR.21 UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD. N.Y. 165-WW 127 22 PHOTOGRAPHER REC'D TAKEN 2-12-19 DESCRIPTION: COLORED JAZZ BAND AND LEADER BACK WITH COLORED 15TH N.Y. Lieut. James Reese Europe who for four years N.Y. Society's favorite orchestra (dance) leader formerly with Vernon Castle returned with his regiment the 369th Infantry. C ISSUED: NOTES: 165 WW 127 3-5605

Dan Kildare (centre), with Club Clef players (1915)

Born in Jamaica but able to forge a career in the US after claiming American parents, Dan Kildare led popular string bands for dance clubs in New York and London, playing syncopated rhythms that were direct forerunners of jazz.

Kildare found fame recording and performing in New York. For a time, he ran the pioneering Club Clef booking agency/social hub, supporting and then taking over from New York's most feted Black bandleader, James Reese Europe.

Later, Kildare also made his name in war-time London, overseeing the house band at the trendsetting Club Ciro after decamping to the UK in 1915.

Neither Club Ciro's temporary closure (due to serving alcohol after-hours), nor the departure of several band members to fight in France, hindered Kildare's ability to make money in the UK. It didn't last long.

In 1920, two years into an already disintegrating marriage, 41-year-old Kildare shot himself, but not before shooting and killing his estranged wife - Mary Rose Frances Fink, a young widow with her own pub - and sister-in-law, a tragedy that was widely reported by the newspapers in London.

James Reese Europe

Remembering James Reese Europe (February 22, 1881 – May 9, 1919) Ragtime and early Jazz Bandleader, Arranger, and Composer. He was the leading figure on the African American music scene of New York City in the 1910s.

James Reese Europe

When it comes to achieving racial diversity, music education at the university level in the U.S. still has a long way to go.

One of the leading professional organizations, the Society for Music Theory, put it bluntly in 2020: “We humbly acknowledge that we have much work to do to dismantle the whiteness and systemic racism that deeply shape our discipline,” the group wrote.

[…]

Left out of textbooks are the many African American musicians who contributed significantly to American music, such as classical composers Nathaniel Dett, James Reese Europe, Julia Perry and Clarence Cameron White.

Also generally excluded were nonclassical genres like jazz, blues or bluegrass, or contemporary popular music such as hip-hop, soul or punk.

[…]

Musicians are rethinking their curricula to treat all music of the world on equal footing as the European standards.