ABSTRACT
As a result, a new kind of band came into being around 1911. One of the first of these was organised by James Reese Europe, a black American from Mobile, Alabama. Shortly after 1914, Europe’s band was hired by the Castles for a dancing demonstration they were giving in Philadelphia. Following this, Europe became the Castle’s musical director, and he and his eighteen-piece, all-black band toured with the famous dancing couple all over America. They also helped put on the highly successful ‘Castles in the A ir’ show on a hotel roof-top in New York.
