NYU will host a tribute to James Reese Europe, a musician, composer, band director, and WWI soldier credited with bringing jazz to Europe, with a performance by the Randy Weston African Rhythms Orchestra on Sun., Nov. 9, 6 p.m. at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
The performance will also include an introduction on the regiment’s history and significance by NYU Professor Jeffrey Sammons, co-author of Harlem’s Rattlers and the Great War: The Undaunted 369th Regiment and the African American Quest for Equality. The work, co-authored with John Morrow, chronicles the African-American combat unit that grew out of the 15th New York National Guard—at a time when the U.S. military was segregated—that eventually fought with the French army in WWI.
Historians note that Europe (1881-1919) played a pivotal role in the recruitment efforts of the Regiment, where he served as an officer in its machine gun company. The first African-American officer to face combat during World War II, he is also is credited with spreading the “jazz germ” throughout the European continent, most notably in France.
Ticket prices are as follows: general admission, $15; NYU students, faculty, staff, and administrators, $12; non-NYU students, $12; seniors, $10. A valid ID is required for all discounted tickets. For ticket information, please call 888.611.8183 or click here.
Reporters wishing to attend must RSVP to James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.
The event is co-sponsored by the Institute of African American Affairs (IAAA) at New York University and the NYU Department of History.
For updates and more information please visit the IAAA website.
EDITOR’S NOTE
The Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for New York University and lower Manhattan. Led by Executive Director Michael Harrington, the programs of the Skirball Center reflect NYU's mission as an international center of scholarship, defined by excellence and innovation and shaped by an intellectually rich and diverse environment. A vital aspect of the Center's mission is to build young adult audiences for the future of live performance. For more, go to: http://www.nyuskirball.org/.