Eubie Blake

James Hubert " Eubie " Blake ( born February 7, 1887 in Baltimore, Maryland, † February 12, 1983 in New York City, New York ) was an American jazz pianist and composer with an unfavorable influence on the development of ragtime and early Jazz.

• 6.1 Notes and references

Life

Blake was born on February 7, 1887 as James Hubert Blake in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents, Emily "Emma" Johnstone (1861-1927) and John Sumner Blake (1838-1917), were freed slaves. He had seven siblings who all died as children. His father John Blake worked as dockers and porters.

Blake's musical training began when he was four or five years old. When he was out shopping with his mother, he climbed into a music store on the bench of an organ and " dawdling " on the keyboard around. As was his mother, the store owner said to her, " The child is a genius! It would be criminal to prevent him from developing such a God-given talent. "

The Blakes bought for $ 75 a harmonium, with an installment of 25 cents a week. When he was seven years old, he received organ lessons of Margaret Marshall, a neighbor's daughter and organist at the Methodist church. At the age of 15 he played - without his parents' knowledge - piano in a brothel.

In July 1910 Blake Avis Elizabeth Cecelia Lee married ( 1881-1938 ); he made a marriage proposal to her in a rental car with driver. Blake and Lee knew each other since about 1895 from the elementary school in Baltimore. After the wedding, the couple moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Blake worked at the " Boathouse Night Club". 1938 was diagnosed with Avis Blake tuberculosis, she died in the same year at the age of 58 years.

First ragtime compositions Blakes were published by JW Published Stern and he was after the Schillinger system (see also: Joseph Schillinger ) form. After a win in a big Piano Competition, he became known nationally and came together with many important musicians of his time. The first was in 1915, the singer Noble Sissle, with whom he formed the Dixie Duo and compositions such as " I'm Just Wild About Harry " created. With Sissle he moved to New York and worked with many artists. In the 1920s, his compositions were partly so successful that they spread by three at the same time touring ensembles in the United States. In 1921 he succeeded his only chart success in the charts; be composed with Noble Sissle song " Bandiana ," a song about a red bandana, reached number 8 in the singles chart. 1924 was followed by a tour of England and in 1927 he joined with its own orchestra in Paris, where he stayed for some time. Then it was quiet for a long time to him, and he was almost only active as a church musician. Occasionally he appeared in a duo with Sissle; In 1959, he played an album The Wizard Of The Ragtime Piano.

In 1969, he experienced an impressive comeback and released three new, produced by John Hammond Records, 1972 he founded his own record company. In 1973, he performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, the Berlin Jazz Festival and other major European jazz festivals. In 1974 he was heard together with Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall, to his - alleged - his 95th birthday, he was honored with a nationally televised television shows. The events of his - again alleged - 100th birthday, he was, however, already so ill that he had to pursue in the hospital the honors on the screen. In the documented by CBS Records to disk major event A Keyboard Event Blake came in 1981 in Los Angeles together with younger colleagues such as Herbie Hancock and George Duke.

Eubie Blake died at the age of 96 years on 12 February 1983 in Brooklyn, New York. He was buried in the cemetery at Cypress Hills in Brooklyn, New York.

Year of Birth / Age

In later years Blake was on his birth year 1883. Consequently, he celebrated his 100th birthday in 1983. Most sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica give his birth year wrong with 1883. However, official documents show 12 February 1887 as his birthday. However, " In the final analysis can: This includes the census of 1900, the registration of the First World War in 1917, his proposal of 1920 for a passport and the registration for social security from 1936, the Australian lawyer, pianist and jazz historian Peter Hanley writes. the fact that he was only 96 years old instead of 100 years, not detract from his extraordinary success. He is always one of the best popular composer and playwright remain his time " Blake himself commented on his age as follows: ". . Had I known that I am so old, I would have taken better care of me "

Music

Eubie Blake claimed that the melody of the Charleston Rag came from him; she had him in 1899 - so at the age of 12 years - sunken. He brought this Rag but until 1915 on paper, as he had learned to write music. Together with his longtime musical partner, singer Noble Sissle, 1921 he wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along. It was the first Broadway musical, which was written and directed by African Americans in the performance. The singer and dancer Josephine Baker had the lead role. Memories of You Blake's composition has long been one of the jazz standards of the swing era. In 1979, a Broadway revue Eubie! with a number of his best known titles out ( the premiere on the west coast around 1980 ).

Pronounced was his style with dezimenweiten chords, which was reflected in his compositions. He had unusually large hands and was able to grab intervals up to a twelfth. His thus difficult -to-play classic ragtime compositions for piano are among the finest Rags, such as Eubie 's Classical Rag.

Eubie Blake was an important and witty witness to developments of jazz in the early 20th century in age. As you've asked him for his opinion, which of the many styles of jazz as best pleases him, he grinned and replied, " It's all Ragtime. "

Blake was (eg from Bach or Beethoven) "normal" to be able to play, a classical composition, then imperceptibly to syncopate and to switch into the rhythm of ragtime. He continued his piano playing and recordings, until shortly before the day, each of which thought it was his 100th birthday.

Compositions (selection )

• Bandana Days
• Charleston Rag
• Love Will Find A Way
• Memories of You (together with Andy Razaf )
• I'm Just Wild About Harry

Honors

1980 awarded an honorary doctorate in the Fisk University. In 1981 Blake the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Posthumously Blake was in 1995 honored with a postage stamp of the United States Postal Service. The " James Hubert Blake High School " in Silver Spring, Maryland, was named after him in 1998. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American theater ( " American Theatre Hall of Fame ").

Eubie Blake was a member of the Federation of the Freemasons, his box Medina Lodge No.. 19 is constituted under the Prince Hall Grand Lodge.