Today on PreserveCast, we’re talking with Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom, the co-authors of Eubie Blake: Rags, Rhythm and Race, a new biography of one of the key composers of 20th century American popular song and jazz.

A gifted musician, Blake rose from performing in dance halls and bordellos of his native Baltimore to the heights of Broadway. As successful as his career and music were, racism and bad luck hampered Blake’s career. Remarkably, the third act of Blake’s life found him heralded in his 90s at major jazz festivals, in Broadway shows, and on television and recordings.

Now, let’s get jazzy on this week’s PreserveCast!

ON THIS EPISODE

Richard Carlin is a Grammy Award-winning author of numerous books on popular music, including Country Music: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2019), Godfather of the Music Business: Morris Levy (2016), The Big Book of Country (1995), and Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways (2008). Ken Bloom is a New York-based, Grammy Award-winning theatre historian, playwright, director, record producer, and author.