Commentaire
An extraordinary book about an extraordinary man. This is not merely a biography of a gifted musician, but rather an engrossing chronicle of the emergence of an art form.... Not only a notable biography but also a historical study of racial politics in early twentieth-century America."
—American Historical Review
"A definitive, long overdue, and fully documented chronicle of the famous but—until now—frus- tratingly unknown musical soldier."—Notes
"One of the most important works of jazz scholarship to emerge in quite some time."—Booklist
"Badger's lucid narrative writing style not only captures in detail the fascinating saga of Europe's life—it also engulfs Europe in the culture and communities in which he lived and worked."
—San Francisco Examiner
"This compendious biography by Reid Badger... should go a long ways toward restoring Europe to his rightful place in the distinctive African-American—and thus in the definitively American — musical pantheon.... This book does the world a service by bringing Europe's name to promi-nence...."—The Washington Post Book World
"Vividly brings to life an important but hitherto obscure figure in the transition from ragtime to jazz. Badger's biography explains the scope and nature of Jim Europe's achievements and helps us better understand how African-American jazz and blues exploded on the national scene in the 1920s."—Lingua Franca