The music was called ragtime, and in late 19th and early 20th century America, it soared in popularity, leading to a dance craze in the country. By the late 1910s, the genre was evolving into what we know today as jazz.

One of the most well-known musicians in both was James Reese Europe. He would become a pivotal figure in American music history, with some referring to him as the "King of Jazz," while one musician said about James, "He was our benefactor and inspiration. Even more, he was the Martin Luther King of music."

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Sources:

- Badger, Reid. A Life in Ragtime: A Biography of James Reese Europe. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, USA, 2011.
- "James Reese Europe, 1881-1919." Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200038842/
- Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Reese_Europe.jpg