Songbook: Photo of the 'Original Shuffle Along Orchestra,' with arrow pointing to William Grant Still

[The “Original Shuffle Along Orchestra,” inscribed by Eubie Blake]

A photo on the blog Songbook is entitled “Original Shuffle Along Orchestra,” and the blog says it is “inscribed by Eubie Blake.” Seated near the center of the first row is the oboist William Grant Still. His name is written on the photograph, with an arrow pointing to him.

Songbook
November 10, 2010

“Shuffle Along

The 1921 Broadway musical revue, Shuffle Along, was a significant milestone for African-American musical theater.”

The William Grant Still (1895-1978) page at AfriClassical.com, using the research of Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, notes: “Shuffle Along was produced by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Some of its musical arrangements were done by Still. The show featured an African American cast and was so successful that it ran for 504 performances in New York City before going on tour.”

Collaborative Piano Blog: Raymond Jackson at Bethesda's Strathmore on February 10

Our friend Chris Foley of Toronto sends us a very interesting post on Raymond Jackson, a pianist who is on the faculty of Howard University:

Collaborative Piano Blog

Friday, January 30, 2009

“If you're in the Washington, D.C. area in early February, you might want to take the drive out to Bethesda, Maryland on the evening of February 10 to hear an innovative program given by pianist and Howard University faculty member Raymond Jackson at Strathmore. Entitled From Beethoven to Eubie Blake: Discoveries and Connections, this lecture recital juxtaposes the music of European composers with composers of African descent. The recital will take place at 7:30pm on February 10 in The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852. Tickets are $25. Here's the program: 'From Beethoven to Eubie Blake: Discoveries and Connections'. A Lecture Recital Featuring Works for the Keyboard by Composers of European and African* Descent.” [Full Post]

Composers of African Descent on the program are Frederick Eliot Lewis (1846- ? ); Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912); Hall Johnson (1888-1970); and James Hubert “Eubie” Blake (1883-1993). The post ends with this comment: “I really like the way that Jackson juxtaposes these styles alongside each other, and in my experience audiences have responded highly favorably to this type of programming. Best of luck to Raymond for what looks to be a fascinating recital.”