Fred Van Eps(1878-1960)
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Fred Van Eps was an American banjo player who played five string banjo
and was one of the greatest banjo players who ever lived He was Born
December 30th 1878 And died November 22nd 1960 at age 81. He started
recording for the Edison Company in 1897, and during his career
recorded for all of the major recording company's including
Victor,Columbia,Vocalion, Brunswick and many smiler company's. He had a
style that was popular with most of the banjo players of the time and
had mastered it to a point where he had few if any banjo players could
out play him.His most prolific period was 1910 to 1920. He did not play
the five string Banjo in the style of the Blue Grass players of today.
He would pick and roll and play every note of the tune he was
recording. in 1910 he recorded a tune called Cupids Arrow which in my
estimation is the finest Banjo solo ever recorded. His dexterity on the
five string Banjo is amazing.He recorded most styles of music popular
at the time, and made many Ragtime Recordings. in the teens of the 20th
century he had a recording trio of at first Fred and his brother
William on Banjos and Felix Arndt (the composer of The tune Nola) on
piano. Sometime later Eddie King on drums replaced William Van Eps and
later Nathan Glantz (saxophone) replaced king to give the trio a more
modern sound.in 1915 he opened a banjo Company with prolific recording
tenor Henery Burr. By the mid 1920S with most banjo players playing the
four string banjo,his style became dated and the main company he
recorded for after 1923 was Edison. in the early 1930s he led a dance
band that made a few recordings in the 1950s he issued recordings of
himself on his own record label and made a few Lps.In the late 1950s he
moved to Southern California to be with a son and daughter in law. His
son Fred Van Eps Jr. was a trumpet player, his son Bobby played piano
and son George played guitar. all record for major recording
company's.Some of his many recordings are Cupids Arrow Victor 16855
from 1910 Rag Pickings Victor 16934 from 1910. Lost Arrow and Manana
Cloumbia A 1821 from 1914 And The Smiler Rag and A Rag Time Episode
Edison 51514 from 1925 Also issued on Edison Blue Amberol Cylinder
Record 5132.