On Feb. 7, 2026, acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran will take the stage at Shannon Hall to present a moving tribute to the Harlem Hellfighters and James Reese Europe. This powerful live multimedia performance pays tribute to the legacy of Lt. James Reese Europe, a trailblazing Black composer, bandleader and World War I hero, through reimagined soundscapes and archival footage.
Keep reading to learn more about the legacy of James Reese Europe, the evolution of Moran’s groundbreaking project and how he is using the arts to retell history.
James Reese Europe was a pioneering figure in early 20th-century music and Black cultural history. A composer, conductor and activist, Europe was the first African American to conduct at Carnegie Hall and the visionary behind the Clef Club, a union for Black musicians in New York. His Clef Club Orchestra’s 1911 debut at Carnegie was a sold-out sensation, showcasing music rooted in ragtime, early jazz and classical form. But Europe’s influence extended far beyond the stage.
“Europe becomes a freedom fighter. He learns aspects of this at an early age as his violin teacher is the son of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass. An early lesson he understands is that sound and freedom aid one another. With his violin, he arrives in New York on a mission. Much of this mission revolves around music, but his greater mission will be that of demanding equality of African American performers, PEOPLE.” -Jason Moran
In 1916, James Reese Europe enlisted in the 369th Infantry Regiment, later known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Europe was the first African American officer in WWI to lead U.S. troops into combat, and the Hellfighters spent more time in combat than any other American unit and became one of the most decorated.
In addition to combat, he led the regimental band as they introduced jazz to European audiences during WWI. Throughout this time, Europe and his band became international symbols of excellence and pride for Black Americans.
Today, Jason Moran, a MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient and the former artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center, is known for blending history, innovation and emotional storytelling in his work. With "The Absence of Ruin," Moran continues his trilogy honoring New York icons.
“In essence, I consider this part of a trilogy of pieces dedicated to Harlem musicians, Thelonious Monk, Fats Waller and now James Reese Europe. I also sample some of his material and treat it as something for ambient electronica as well.” -Jason Moran
One of the most striking elements of "The Absence of Ruin" is its visual component. Floating above the band is a single-channel film, created specifically for this program, by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young (Selma, Arrival), with direction by artist-filmmaker John Akomfrah.
Moran said, “The images are poetic, because the piece is a meditation on a hero.”
“He indeed startled the world. One hundred years later, we celebrate a brave individual among a company of soldiers, The Harlem Hellfighters, who predict a thought Martin Luther King Jr. would write some 47 years later in his letter from a Birmingham jail, ’Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’” -Jason Moran
Through this powerful retelling of this story, Jason Moran aims to leave the audience with one final message: “Hear We Are.”
Single tickets are on sale now to exprience Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters: James Reese Europe and the Absence of Ruin on Feb. 7 at Shannon Hall.