Elmer Snowden

Elmer Chester Snowden (October 9, 1900 – May 14, 1973) was an American 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 launched the careers of many top musicians.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 9, 1900 (Baltimore), Died May 14, 1973 (Philadelphia)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: banjo, alto saxophone, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Columbia	140855	10-in.	8/20/1925	Corn bread wiggle	Three Monkey Chasers	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	140856	10-in.	8/20/1925	Cocoanut strut	Three Monkey Chasers	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W140857	10-in.	8/19/1925	Nobody's blues but mine	Bessie Smith and her Band	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with clarinet, banjo, and piano	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W140858	10-in.	8/19/1925	I ain't got nobody	Bessie Smith and her Band	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with clarinet, banjo, and piano	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W140951	10-in.	9/17/1925	I'm a back bitin' mama	Maggie Jones	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W140952	10-in.	9/17/1925	Dallas blues	Maggie Jones	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W140964	10-in.	9/18/1925	South Street blues	Maggie Jones	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W140965	10-in.	9/18/1925	Never drive a beggar from your door	Maggie Jones and her Band	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W141037	10-in.	9/23/1925	Grand opera blues	Bob Fuller	Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W141038	10-in.	9/23/1925	Pig Alley stomp	Bob Fuller	Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W141056	10-in.	9/29/1925	Single woman's blues	Maggie Jones	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	W141057	10-in.	9/29/1925	Never tell a woman friend	Maggie Jones	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	instrumentalist, alto saxophone
Columbia	141142	10-in.	10/16/1925	Uncle Remus stomp	Three Monkey Chasers	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	141143	10-in.	10/16/1925	Montmartre giggles	Three Monkey Chasers	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	144215	10-in.	5/24/1927	Lindbergh hop	Te Roy Williams Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Columbia	146556	10-in.	6/19/1928	Nameless blues	Bob Fuller	Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano	instrumentalist, banjo
Columbia	146557	10-in.	6/19/1928	Ridiculous blues	Bob Fuller	Clarinet solo, with banjo and piano	instrumentalist, banjo
OKeh	W400777	10-in.	6/11/1928	Lame duck blues	Three Blues Chasers	Jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
OKeh	W400778	10-in.	6/11/1928	Nothin' but blues	Three Blues Chasers	Jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	E1540-E1542	10-in.	10/29/1925	House party stomp	Three Jolly Miners	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	E1543-E1545	10-in.	10/29/1925	Grand opera blues	Three Jolly Miners	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	E2108-E2110	10-in.	1/12/1926	Chicago back step	Three Jolly Miners	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	E2111-E2113	10-in.	1/13/1926	F minor blues	Three Jolly Miners	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	E2435-E2436	10-in.	2/15/1926	Pig Alley stomp	Three Jolly Miners	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	E2437-E2438	10-in.	2/15/1926	Ridiculous blues	Three Jolly Miners	Instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	577W-579W	10-in.	3/20/1925	Get it fixed	Rosa Henderson	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	912W-914W	10-in.	6/20/1925	Too bad Jim!	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	915W-917W	10-in.	6/20/1925	Black cat blues	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1078W-1079W	10-in.	8/8/1925	Lake George blues	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1080W-1081W	10-in.	8/8/1925	Louisville blues	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1240W-1242W	10-in.	8/27/1925	Plain old blues	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1243W-1245W	10-in.	8/27/1925	Ketch your breath	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio, with clarinet solo	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1377W-1378W	10-in.	9/21/1925	Old man's Charleston	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1379W-1380W	10-in.	9/21/1925	Texas shuffle	Three Jolly Miners	Jazz/dance trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1511W-1513W	10-in.	10/17/1925	An' I don't mean if!	Rosa Henderson ; Three Jolly Miners	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo
Brunswick	1514W-1516W	10-in.	10/17/1925	You can't be like my last man was	Rosa Henderson	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	instrumentalist, banjo

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Snowden, Elmer," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107244.

Snowden, Elmer. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107244.

"Snowden, Elmer." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.