James Reese Europe’s Castle House Rag

March 4, 2011 9:03 PM , Leave a Comment ,

I am currently reading Reid Badger’s biography of James Reese Europe, A Life in Ragtime, and popped over to YouTube to see if someone uploaded a recording of his band. According to Badger, Europe and his orchestra were the first black musicians to sign a major recording contract in 1913. They recorded three sessions (though the last was never released by Victor Records), and the “Castle House Rag”, which Europe wrote specifically for the Castles, was recorded and released in February of 1914.

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About Evangeline Holland

Author of Edwardian/WWI historicals. Likes cooking, the smell and collecting of old books, various artsy hobbies, travel, classic cinema, period dramas, the fusty areas of history, and all things French (though is terrible with maintaining fluency in the language). Read more about her novels and non-fiction here

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