Lieutenant James Reese Europe arriving from France, February 12, 1919.

Courtesy of the Frank Driggs Collection.

 

“That Moaning Trombone”

James Reese Europe’s Hellfighters Band

1919

Europe’s Hellfighters thrilled audiences at home and abroad with their distinctive brand of orchestrated ragtime, filled with smears, bent notes and rhythmic excitement borrowed from jazz. This piece features the first great slide trombone ensemble work and a touch of humor.