Pianoforte Cavalcade, Bach to Boogie. Los Angeles, California July 29, 1945. [cover title]

“Our humble initial effort [...] the tremendous work at hand…”

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A rare wartime concert program hosted by Phi Beta Sigma’s Los Angeles chapter, Pianoforte Cavalcade offers a snapshot portrait of Black civic life, enterprise, and cultural expression in 1945 California.

Issued by the Black-owned C.W. Hill Co., the event, a fundraiser, featured pianist Katie Miller—an Oberlin and New England Conservatory graduate who had taught at several historically Black colleges. According to the program, Miller was “now a member of the Music Staff of the Fifth Street Store in Los Angeles.” Her impressive repertoire ranged from Bach, Liszt, and Paganini to W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” and “Pine Top” Smith’s “The Original Boogie Woogie.”

From the “Foreword” and “Acknowledgement” pages, it is stated:

“The Bach to Boogie Pianoforte Cavalcade represents only part of the contribution of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity to the cultural life of the City of Los Angeles. I should like to mention here, if I may, that the Phi Beta Sigma Chapter is the first and only college fraternity to hold a $500 cash life membership in the N.A.A.C.P. With the eradication of juvenile delinquency as our permanent program—we are striving in this, our humble initial effort, to acquaint you with the tremendous work at hand [...] The purpose of this booklet is to preserve in durable form, records of the past which are the proudest and happiest of our recollections. As years advance, our memories of these events will become less distinct. The hope of the compilers of this booklet is to uphold the honor and dignity of Phi Beta Sigma in a manner befitting all aspects and ideals…”

The program also functions as a directory of Black-owned businesses, with dozens of text-framed advertisements—many accompanied by headshots of their proprietors. A group portrait of the fraternity and a photograph of the Dunbar Hotel accompany a brief chapter history.

First (sole) edition, with single leaf patron list laid-in. Unrecorded in OCLC.

Price: $750.00