Though his life was cut short, James Reese Europe’s herculean efforts single-handedly broke barriers restricting African-American musicians from receiving proper compensation and recognition for their immeasurable talents and accomplishments. Additionally, he lifted a once tarnished genre beyond mere respectability to an epitome of a decade. He spread a uniquely American art form across continents, breaking the cultural barriers that tainted perceptions of this genre.

"he brought a new dignity to Negro musicians. And as the leader of a kind of avant-garde, he gave a new thrust to the development of Afro-American music. He was the real initiator of the Jazz Age and mentor to countless Jazz Age musicians."

-Gunther Schuller, Musings: The Musical Worlds of Gunther Schuller

                                                                          January 6, 2001. The New York Times                                                                                                    Lieutenant James Reese Europe, 1917. National Archives

Lieutenant James Reese Europe transformed what it meant to be a black musician in America.