Eubie (James Hubert) Blake

Internationally renowned ragtime pianist and composer

Birth:

Death:

Birthplace:

Date of Interview:

Place of Interview:

Interviewers:

February 7, 1883

February 12, 1983

Baltimore, Maryland

April 14, 1972

SIUE

Dan Havens, Jules Zanger, Carol Clarkin

Eubie Blake, with his long, slender fingers, had a distinguished musical career. Mr. Blake formed a successful partnership with Noble Sissle in 1915. Mr. Blake went on to become music director for the United Services Organizations (USO) productions during World War II. His first recording was released in 1917. During the 1950’s he was considered by many to be the nation‘s leading ragtime pianist. In 1969 he recorded the album, “The Eighty-Six Years of Eubie” (COL C2S-847), which was well received. Three years later, Mr. Blake came to SIUE to perform at the First Annual Jazz Festival. Eubie Blakes legendary musical life has been celebrated in a number of films and in the Broadway musical, “Eubie.”

This is the table of contents for the interview of Eubie Blake. It is part of the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive which is located in Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

For a complete contents list of all musician interviews for the oral history project, please click on this link: Oral History and Research Materials.

If interested in reviewing these materials from the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive, please contact Therese Dickman, Fine Arts Librarian.

Tape # Side	Time	Subject
1 a	015-050	Eubie as a nickname
1 a	051-065	Birth in Baltimore, 1883
1 a	066-104	Parents; as slave; family
1 a	105-114	Music in family
1 a	115-133	Longevity; Eubie's father
1 a	134-175	Eubie's father and the American flag
1 a	176-192	Lee Whipper, Porgy
1 a	193-283	How Eubie started playing the organ
1 a	284-307	First lessons; Margaret Marshall
1 a	308-319	Improvising on the organ
1 a	320-340	Ragtime, origins of
1 a	341-403	Eubie's girlfriend, her lawn party; Edgar Dow
1 a	404-449	Plays “Dream Rag”
1 a	450-480	Jessie Picket, Composer of "Dream Rag"
1 a	481-493	Basil Chase; Eubie age 15-16
1 a	494-508	Dr. Frisbee's medicine show
1 a	509-628	Job at Aggie Shelton's Place
1 a	629-634	Next job
1 a	635-648	Old Kentucky Show
1 a	649-654	Playing cabarets in New York
1 a	655-665	Type of music played in bordellos
1 a	666-702	Plays excerpts of music
1 a	703-709	1905; playing in New York and Atlantic City
1 a	710-712	Goldfield Hotel
1 b	063-095	Rags, classic flavor of
1 b	096-111	Composing of Charleston Rag
1 b	112-144	Learning show music
1 b	145-176	Jim Europe's band
1 b	177-224	Early rags - "Chevy Chase" and "Fizzwater"; publisher's tricks -no royalties
1 b	225-274	Plays “Charleston Rag”
1 b	275-280	First musical comedy
1 b	281-394	Discrimination against blacks in show business; musicians salaries; Keith Vaundeville. Dressing facilities for blacks; Eubie's father on Decoration Day
1 b	395-406	Blank
1 b	407-491	Attitudes of young blacks; feelings of older blacks
1 b	492-504	First show; Shuffle Along
1 b	505-523	Playing in small towns
1 b	524-549	Getting from New Jersey to Washington, D.C.
1 b	550-565	Thomas Brothers and race track incident
1 b	566-580	Getting from Washington, D.C. to New York
1 b	581-592	Minstrel shows; comedians
1 b	593-599	Blank
1 b	600-645	Minstrel shows
1 b	646-668	Continued popularity of "I'm Just Wild about Harry"
1 b	669-704	Partnership with Noble Sissle
1 b	705-724	Josephine Baker
1 b	713-719	Blank
1 b	720-740	One-leg Willie
1 b	725-736	Countries played on tour
1 b	737-	End of tape
1 b	740-	End of side one
2 a	003-025	USO tours
2 a	026-038	Travels in U.S.; wife acts as agent
2 a	039-056	Recent compositions
2 a	057-105	Plays "Melodic Rag"
2 a	106-141	Present popularity of ragtime; what makes music ragtime
2 a	142-	End of tape

E-mail comments and inquiries about the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive to Therese Dickman at tdickma@siue.edu or call 618-650-2695.