Here is some further information on some of the music we perform and talk about during the show "Early African-American Composers." If you'd like to book a live or virtual performance of this program, please get in touch at jerry@raggedblade.com
Also, please check our earlier blogs for other links that pertain to these composers as well as Scott Joplin.
A great source for use has been
this has a bio of James Bland, Ernest Hogan, WC Handy, Chris Smith, Perry Bradford, Shelton Brooks ... and more!
Another great resource for things ragtime and other music of the era is from Bill Edwards.
Here is some info about Chris Smith; there isn't a lot about his "personal life" but this is a good overview of his musical career:
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/chris-smith-mn0001877855
This is an amazing compilation of information of Ernest Hogan, and shows the difficulty of getting accurate information as the stories change.
Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Ernest Hogan: Materials for a Biography (unl.edu)
Here's a short video featuring Lawrence Denton, who knew and performed with James Scott in Kansas City, and includes a tour of some of the places Scott played. Scott was active in music well past his composing career.
Lawrence Denton talks about Ragtime composer James Scott - YouTube
For more on Scott, check our earlier blogs, and here is a quick bio:
James Scott: Biography - Classic Cat
Nina Simone's performance of James Bland's "In the Evening By the Moonlight, much different from the original version we perform, shows the staying power of the song.
Nina Simone - In The Evening By The Moonlight (1960) - YouTube
Quick bios of James Bland; with many of these musicians, exact dates and facts can be hard to come by. There's no hard fast proof he wrote 700 songs or not, but very likely he performed a lot of original music that wasn't published or written down.
James A. Bland (1854-1911) • (blackpast.org)
James Bland, Composer – Bland Heritage
Here's a bio on Perry Bradford:
Perry Bradford (1893-1970) – The Syncopated Times
and another:
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/perry-bradford-mn0000312990
