Elmer Snowden
| Elmer Chester Snowden | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 9, 1900 |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Died | May 14, 1973 (aged 72) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Banjo, guitar |
Elmer Chester Snowden (October 9, 1900 – May 14, 1973) was a banjo player of the jazz age. He also played guitar and, in the early stages of his career, all the reed instruments. He contributed greatly to jazz in its early days as both a player and a bandleader, and is responsible for launching the careers of many top musicians. However, Snowden himself has been largely overlooked in jazz history.
Elmer Snowden was born in Baltimore to Gertude Snowden, and had a brother, James. His mother worked as a laundress, but by the time of the 1917 World War I draft registration of 1917, a month before his 17th birthday, he was already listing his occupation as "musician," while living with his mother, and the 1920 Federal Census found him still living at home, employed as a "musician in a dance hall."
Snowden was the original leader of the Washingtonians, a group he brought to New York City from the capital in 1923. Unable to get a booking, Snowden sent for Duke Ellington, who was with the group when it recorded three test sides for Victor that remain unissued and are, presumably, lost. Ellington eventually took over leadership of the band, which contained the nucleus of what later became his famous orchestra.
Snowden made numerous appearances as a session musician, sideman, or accompanist on almost every New York City label from 1923 on, often in trios with Bob Fuller on clarinet and Lou Hooper on piano. Unfortunately, although these musicians accompanied dozens of well-known female blues singers, they rarely received named credit, except for two sides with Bessie Smith in 1925, and six sides with the Sepia Serenaders in 1934.
Snowden was also a renowned band leader – Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Bubber Miley, "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Frankie Newton, Benny Carter, Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge and Chick Webb are among the musicians who worked in his various bands.
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