Noble Sissle & His Sizzling Syncopators-Sunny Sunflower Land

Noble Sissle (1889-1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright who is noted for his collaboration with songwriter, Eubie Blake. The pair first performed in vaudeville and later produced the musicals Shuffle Along and The Chocolate Dandies. When it premiered in 1921, Shuffle Along became the first hit musical on Broadway written by and about African Americans. The musicals also introduced hit songs such as "I'm Just Wild About Harry" and "Love Will Find a Way." In 1923, Sissle made two films for Lee DeForest in DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. They were Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake featuring Sissle and Blake's song "Affectionate Dan", and Sissle and Blake Sing Snappy Songs featuring "Sons of Old Black Joe" and "My Swanee Home". Blake also made a third film in Phonofilm, playing his composition "Fantasy on Swanee River". This wonderful recording, with a vocal by Sissle himself, was made in 1930.