A Life in Ragtime: A Biography of James Reese Europe

by Reid Badger

James Reese Europe is one of the important transitional figures in American music. As a composer at the height of ragtime, he had a strong influence on the first generation of jazz musicians who were to follow. Europe's life reveals much about the role of black musicians in American culture in a period when it was presumed they had little place.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, African American, History, Jazz

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jonathan Scheuer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading this book on the 100th anniversary of the murder of James Reese Europe. JRE was a key figure in the decade in which African-American musical idioms became central to American popular culture. He led Vernon and Irene Castle's band, which established social dancing as a socially acceptable entertainment for middle-class people. He, more than anyone else, established professional contractual standards for African-American musicians. In World War I he led the band of the legendary 369th division, engaged in front line trench combat, and along with the rest of the African-American soldiers won honors and admiration from the French Army with whom they fought, and the people of France. Returning to the US, he was hailed as a hero, and began touring his wildly popular big band, which was already jazz-inflected, though not yet what we'd call a jazz ensemble. At this point he was randomly attacked with a pen knife by a disgruntled drummer (Herbert Wright, who later taught the great and still active Roy Haynes), and perished from the loss of blood.

Badger's biography is excellent, well-researched, comprehensive and thrillingly written. Read it!

[Jerry Rabushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well-written, I like the style, like you're reading and you suddenly realize "wow this guy can writer!" Plus it's about someone that's more or less lost to the ages, as a ragtime/early blues musician this book meant a lot to me & opened a window on someone I didn't know much about. If you read enough books on this era of music you see how everyone fits together and worked together. Europe was a big deal back in the day and his loss at age 40 is really sad, given all he had accomplished and all he was on track to accomplish, what an interesting person he was!