Reminiscing with Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake

Based on extensive interviews, Reminiscing with Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake recounts the lives and music of singer-lyricist-band leader Noble Sissle (1889-1975) and ragtime-composer Eubie Blake (1883-1983).Their 57-year partnership began in 1915, when Broadway beckoned with a wealth of opportunity:thriving theater companies performed vaudeville, revue, musical comedy, and operetta to enthusiastic audiences. This book captures all the optimism and vibrancy of early twentieth-century black performers and musicians. In 1921, Sissle and Blake's breakthrough musical, Shuffle Along brought authentic ragtime and jazz dancing to the Broadway for the first time—-a combination that opened up new avenues in musical theater for black and white performers alike.

Richly illustrated with a rare collection of photographs, theater posters, playbills, sheet music, and reviews, Reminiscing with Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake recreates an unforgettable era in musical theater.