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is committed to conscious editing of Libraries’ generated descriptive terminology that may be offensive, harmful, or out of date.
-
Who Knows?
Paul Laurence Dunbar and Ernest R. Ball
Duet. Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Music by Ernest R. Ball.
-
Williams and Walker's Album of Gems
Bert Williams and George Walker
From the original musical farce comedy "The Policy Players." Williams and Walker were Black American musicians.
-
You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine
James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson
James Weldon Johnson was a Black writer. John Rosamond Johnson was a Black composer.
-
You're Calling Me, Georgia
Bernie Grossman, Eddie Nelson, and J. Eubie Blake
J. Eubie Blake was a Black composer.
-
You're Lucky To Me
Andy Razaf and Eubie Blake
Introduced by Ethel Waters in Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1930.
-
Zip Coon
Nathaniel Carusi
Arranged with varriations. Sold by Saml Carusi Piano Forte and Music Store. Corner 12th St. and Penn Avenue.
