Juba' is one of the earliest and possibly best compositions by R. Nathaniel Dett. Majoring in composition and piano at Oberlin, in 1908, Dett was the first black person to earn a Bachelor of Music degree. A few years later he received a masters from Eastman, then honorary Doctorates from both Oberlin and Howard University. Most of Dett's music-writing and music-making was devoted to the music of his people. 'Juba' is the result of a well-schooled composer making effective use of elements of ragtime. A crowd-pleaser.