Elmer Snowden
Elmer Snowden (born October 9, 1900 in Baltimore , Maryland , † May 14, 1973 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) was an American banjo player , band leader and music entrepreneur.
He played a swinging style on his tenor banjo. He is known as the original head of the Washingtonians , who elected Duke Ellington to be their new head after a dispute with Snowden . In the 1920s he managed up to five bands under his name. A 1925 record with Bessie Smith was the high point of his jazz career. In the early 1960s he recorded LPs with Lonnie Johnson and in 1967 took part in the Berlin Jazz Festival.
Discographic notes
- Harlem Banjo (OJC, 1960) with Cliff Jackson , Tommy Bryant , Jimmy Crawford
Remarks
- ↑ One of the thematic focuses there was the "History of guitar playing in jazz", whereby the banjo was seen as the pioneer of the guitar; other participants were Jim Hall , Sonny Sharrock, and Buddy Guy .
Web links
- Elmer Snowden in The Red Hot Archive (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Snowden, Elmer |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 9, 1900 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Baltimore , Maryland |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 14, 1973 |
| Place of death | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania |