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Show ilodern Negro Musician Interprets Music Best The fact that tho Richmond Times-lspatch Times-lspatch recently made editorial com-lent com-lent upon the question "Why does Dciety prefer the Negro musician?" ad the presence in vaudeville, as ac-impanlest ac-impanlest to many of the ballroom anclng specialists lends interest to letter the New York Tlinos recently rinted over the signature of James eese Europe, a colored man who &ems to bo the leading spirit in or-anlzlng or-anlzlng and presenting orchestras omposcd exclusively of Negroes. Europe has two or three bands trav-Hng trav-Hng the vaudeville routes with "so-lety "so-lety dancers" and is called upon by few Yorkers very frequently to pro-Ido pro-Ido music for social functions. This inch to introduce Mr. Europe, by way 'I establishing his right to pass corn-lent corn-lent and point out, as has seldom, if i?er, been cited, the reasons why col-Ted col-Ted musicians are given preference iter white men in producing dance Susie on tho stage and In society. From Europo's letter to the Now fork Times this much is taken, as Wvancing some very essential, If not tallrely uncontestlble, arguments in Vancing the Negro musician to tomlnenco on and off the vaudeville ,,Jage and the only reason for predating pre-dating It at all is to accentuate the owmanshlp of vaudeville producers o employ Negroes for certain das- of acts. "The now typo of Negro musician ated by tho demand for dance mu-1 mu-1 f je of which the distinguishing char-I char-I I Juristic is an eccentric tempo, has 1 Rirjfcecded because bis success has HI?11 duo to efficiency and his effi-l effi-l 7cy Is due to the following facts: J J 11s 1. He Is a natural musician and T Wn' '. ,K' :', SS u ",;- throws Limself into tho spirit of his work with spontaneous enthusiasm, so that tho music rendered by a Negro orchestra rarely has the mechanical qualities which is fatal to dancing. "2. He has a superior senso of rhythm, peculiarly adapting him for danco music. ,, , "ll The art of playing the modern syncopated music is to him a natural gift. "4. He excels in tho -use- of tho guitar, banjo, and mandolin. Instruments Instru-ments which aro now being gonorally ntlopted by orchestras playing danco music to obtain the 'thrum-thrum' effect ef-fect and the eccentric, accentuated beat so desirable In danco music, and he was tho first to discover tho availability avail-ability of theso Instruments for such purpose. "5. In addition to his natural talent tal-ent in the above respectB, the modern Negro musician is "well trained In his art. Ho reads readily, memorizes marvelous!y well, Interprets naturally natural-ly and not only understands tho principles, prin-ciples, but is romarkably skilful In executionas ex-ecutionas is to bo expected when ono considers that the Negro possesses a rare facility for arts requiring physical physi-cal skill. "Perhaps it Is fair to say that the Negro has contributed to American music whatever distinctive quality It possesses. Certainly ho Is tho originator orig-inator of tho highly syncopated melody so much in favor today. It is therefore there-fore only natural that tho Negro musician musi-cian should interpret this music best." |