Frank Etheridge's Traveloque
His musical career took him to Paris, Berlin, and other European cities during the interwar period. Over the course of his life, he played with jazz greats like Noble Sissle, Valadia Snow, Jack Carter, Louis Douglas, and more. In the video below, Etheridge plays the banjo in Noble Sissle's Orchestra. As a skilled musician, Etheridge played the piano, the banjo, the violin, and more.
While traveling abroad, Etheridge played in interracial orchestras and for mixed audiences. Many African American jazz musicians preferred the race relations in European countries or Egypt to America's Jim Crow laws. While living abroad did not mean they avoided any racial discrimination, they had more opportunities and more freedom of movement.
In addition to music, Etheridge indulged in other hobbies. Throughout his travels he took photographs of architecture, his friends, and landscapes. He wrote articles, poems, essays, and books. His travelogue was published posthumously.
