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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is committed to conscious editing of Libraries’ generated descriptive terminology that may be offensive, harmful, or out of date.
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Ev'ry Day
Shelton Brooks and W. R. Williams
Shelton Brooks was a Canadian-born African American composer. Words by W. R. Williams.
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Russian Rag
George L. Cobb and F. Henri Klickmann
Full score. Interpolating the world famous "Prelude" by Rachmaninoff.
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(I'm Waiting for You) Liza Jane
Henry Sterling Creamer and Turner Layton
Henry Creamer and Turner Layton were a Black American musical duo.
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Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
Jean Schwartz, Sam M. Lewis, and Joe Young
As introduced by Al Jolson.
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Ma Little Sun Flow'r—Good-Night!
Frederick W. Vanderpool and Louis Weslyn
Dedicated to Princess Tsianina.
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Little Mother of Mine
H. T. Burleigh and Walter H. Brown
Words by Walter H. Brown, music by H. T. Burleigh.
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Sweet Hawaiian Moonlight and You Can Have It, I Don't Want It
F. Henri Klickmann
A double number containing Sweet Hawaiian Moonlight, a valse pathetique by F. Henri Klickmann, and You Can Have It, I Don't Want It, a jazz foxtrot by Hill, Williams and Piron.
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Honky Tonky
Charles Russell McCarron and Christopher M. Smith
One Step. Christopher M. Smith was a Black composer and popular vaudeville performer.