Black American Sheet Music Collection
The Bank of America Black American Sheet Music Collection consists of approximately 4000 pieces of published sheet music reflecting the influences of African Americans on popular music in the United States. The music was created by, performed by, published by, or portrays Black and African American themes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States. The collection highlights popular vocal music, jazz, big band, and swing music published in the United States. The earliest piece in the collection dates to 1818, and the latest editions date into the 1980s, thereby giving a chronicle of the evolution of Black-inspired music in America for almost 200 years. Some imagery and lyrics in this collection reflect harmful racist depictions of Black people and are included in the collections for their use in academic research.
Content Warning:
USF Libraries’ Digital Collections include historical and primary sources from many cultures and time periods. Some content may be harmful, graphic, difficult to view, or reflect biases. Digital Collections provides access to these materials to preserve the historical record, but we do not endorse the attitudes, prejudices, or behaviors found within them. USF Libraries’ is committed to conscious editing of Libraries’ generated descriptive terminology that may be offensive, harmful, or out of date.
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Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen: Negro Spiritual: Theme with Variations
Henry S. Sawyer
"Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" is a traditional Black spiritual.
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Off for Baltimore
William Donaldson and B. E. Woolf
Ethiopian melody. Arranged for the piano by B. E. Woolf. As sung by Whites Ethiopian Serenaders.
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Oh, Oh, Sallie: I'll Love You Till I Die
Eddie Leonard
Words by Rogers and Frantzen. Music by Eddie Leonard.
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Oh You Georgia Rose
Robert Allen Cole, Johnnie Waters, Shelton Brooks, and W. R. Williams
Words by Shelton Brooks and W. R. Williams. Music by Bob Cole and Johnnie Waters.
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Old Black Joe, 1903
Frederic Lewis and Stephen Collins Foster
With beautiful variations for the piano by Frederic Lewis.
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Old Black Joe, 1904, A
Charles Gimbel Jr. and Stephen Collins Foster
Paraphrase De Concert. From Compositions of Charles Gimbel.
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Old Black Joe, 1904, B
F. W. Meacham and Stephen Collins Foster
With beautiful variations for the piano by F. W. Meacham. Originally by Stephen C. Foster.
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Old Black Joe, 1905
E. G. Snelling and Stephen Collins Foster
Transcription with variations. Originally by Stephen C. Foster.
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Old Black Joe: A Transcription on Foster's Celebrated Theme
Louis A. Drumheller and Stephen Collins Foster
A transcription on Foster's celebrated theme by Louis A. Drumheller.
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Old Handkerchief Head
Chris Smith and J. Timothy Brymn
Chris Smith was a Black songwriter. James Timothy Brymn was a Black band leader.
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Onaway! Awake, Beloved!
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and H. W. Longfellow
From the Cantata "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast."
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On the 'Gin 'Gin 'Ginny Shore
Walter Donaldson and Edgar Leslie
Words by Edgar Leslie. Music by Walter Donaldson.
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O Sing to Me Those Dear Old Songs
Frederick Buckley and Charles Sturtevant
To Charles G. Pond. As sung by the Buckley Serenaders.
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Peaceful are the Night Winds Sighing
Louis V.H. Crosby
Duet sung at the concerts of the Harmoneons and Washington Euterpeans.
