Elmer Snowden

Elmer Snowden, born in Baltimore October 9, 1900, 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.Snowden is remembered today mainly as the original leader of the Washingtonians, a group he brought to New York City from the capital in 1923.