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“On This Day in the History of Recorded Sound…”

May 9, 1919: Died: James Reese Europe, first African-American to lead his own band for a major recording company. For more: https://forum.antiquephono.org/topic/39 ... mment-2214

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A tragic end for a man who survived the horrors of WWI. The 369th Infantry earned the name "Hellfighters" from German soldiers who bore the brunt of their ferocity in battle. When he wasn't leading the band, James R. Europe commanded a machine gun group.
His collaborations with Noble Sissle and (occasionally) Eubie Blake were trailblazing in the early days of jazz.
I somtimes wonder what a collaboration between he and Duke Ellington would have produced.

Steve