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

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