Doin’ the New Lowdown
CD Riverside OJCCD-1756-2
Chris Albertson produced an album in 1960 with veterans Elmer Snowden and Cliff Jackson. The former is the banjo player most famous for starting an orchestra called The Washingtonians that would be taken over by Duke Ellington, and the rest is history. This goes far back to the mid 1920s. Snowden, who began playing the fretted instruments in childhood, had a long career and also played and taught saxophone.
Pianist Cliff Jackson was also professionally active in Washington in the 20s, and the two musicians played together sometime already then. In 1927 Jackson formed his big band Crazy Kats, and made some very hot recordings.
Tommy Bryant on bass and Jimmy Crawford, drums complete the quartet.