Interesting photo

[BobLeeSwagger]

White mando-orchestras and the blues-mando in small ensembles are remarked relatively often on the Cafe and elsewhere. But this was the first knowledge I had of a huge, largely fretted ensemble, including many mandos, performing orchestrated jazz, or proto-jazz. The sound must have been incredible. Man, I wish I could have heard them.
The mandos, etc, wouldn't have been playing jazz, but marches and "negro" music that was popular during this period, much in the same way the white bands did. This should in no way be labeled as a jazz or proto-jazz group. The closest they would've gotten was ragtime. All of Europe's output has been reissued on CD, but as to whether the string-based ensemble recorded...that's another matter.

Sorry, forgot to add that the Clef Club Symphony Orchestra was a theater group. In fact, he was a leading figure in the establishment of the Clef Club which was a social organization and professional guild for black New York musicians. This effort included the creation of a symphony orchestra of 100 or more players drawn from the membership of the Clef Club, assembled with the intent to promote to a wider audience for the works of African-American composers and performers.

[delsbrother]

Bob, for the last couple of months I've been working with Gregg Miner of harpguitars.net trying to research this photo. I think he's finally managed to get access to an uncropped one. His interest is in the black harp guitarists.. Would you mind if I gave him your email? He probably has questions you could answer.

Darrell

[Jim Garber]

In 1989, there was a historic re-enactment of a concert that Europe did with the Clef Club Orchestra originally, I believe, in 1912 in Carnegie Hall. I was part of the mandolin section along with Wayne Fugate, Neil Gladd (posters on this board) and Barry Mitterhoff and 6 more New York-based mandolinists. We were part of the plectral section also consisting of 10 banjoists and 10 guitarists. I do recall one of the guitarists playing a Gibson harp guitar. There was also a small orchestra with strings and horns and the Harlem Boys Choir.

The music was definitely ragtime influenced. It was also broadcast a few times on NPR.

Jim

[Jim Garber]

Here's some more info on the Clef Club Orchestra:

From the Encyclopedia Brittanica (http://search.eb.com/Blackhistory/article.do?nKeyValue=2936):

From The 125-member Clef Club orchestra that he conducted at Carnegie Hall featured an extraordinary instrumentation, including 47 mandolins and bandores and 27 harp-guitars.

More info here (http://www.jass.com/Others/europe.html):


The Clef Club Orchestra appeared at Carnegie Hall for the first time on May 2, 1912. They were so well received that they returned in 1913 and 1914. One American writer said that popular music first invaded the concert auditorium when Europe played Carnegie Hall.

Here is a review of the 1989 concert recreation from the New York Times (http://home.igc.org/~bgreen/ClefClub.htm).

I would love to see that photo as well. I may have to find that book.

Jim