The Jazz Trumpet of Valaida Snow

Valaida Snow

Source: Black Glamour

Born on 2 June 1904 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Valaida Snow (aka Little Louis after Armstrong) was a multi-instrumentalist as a youth, already playing violin professionally at age five as Valada the Great in the Pickaninny Troubadours, a group formed by her parents in which her siblings also performed [ACA]. As they assumed the itinerant lifestyle of traveling musicians Valaida gradually focused on trumpet with which she also sang. Starting to acquire acclaim with the instrument at about age fifteen, there is ample evidence that hers was no small ability. ACA appears to have her striking out on her own at age seventeen, touring the States as a stage performer. IBDB has her performing as Manda in the Broadway production of 'The Chocolate Dandies' on Broadway from September 1924 to November.

Snow began visiting the world globally per a tour of Shanghai, Singapore, Calcutta and Jakarta in 1926 with Jack Carter's Serenaders. Her debut recordings on trumpet were in 1932 with the Washboard Rhythm Kings (WRK). A Popsike vendor has 'Spider Crawl'/'I Would Do Anything for You' (Vocalion 1734) going down in New York City on October 5 of 1932.

'Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia'   Valaida Snow w Washboard Rhythm Kings

From Snow's first-known session

5 Oct 1932 in NYC   Matrix 12426   Vocalion 1724

Trumpet: Snow

Alto sax: Jerome Carrington / Ben Smith (clarinet)

Tenor sax: Carl Wade   Piano: Eddie Miles

Banjo / vocals: Steve Washington

String bass: Ghost Howell   Washboard: H. Smith

Music: Frank Perkins   Lyrics: Mitchell Parish

Snow's first issued recording as a name vocalist is thought to have been 'Maybe I'm to Blame' (Brunswick A9407), gone down per Tom Lord and Brian Rust on November 13, 1933, with backing by Earl Hines' orchestra. IMDb has her performing as herself in the 1937 film, 'Take It from Me'. As Snow continued working in theatre and film ('Personal Column' uncredited 1939) in the thirties, international travel to Europe and Asia remained of emphasis.

'I Wish That I Were Twins'   Valaida Snow w Billy Mason and His Orchestra

18 Jan 1935 in London   Matrix CE 6800-1   Parlophone Parlophone F-118

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Duncan Whyte

Alto sax:  Harry Hayes   Tenor sax: Buddy Featherstonhaugh

Piano: Billy Mason   Guitar: Alan Ferguson

String bass: Sam Molyneux   Drums: George Elrick

Composition: Eddie DeLange / Frank Loesser / Joseph Meyer

'Imagination'   Valaida Snow w Billy Mason and His Orchestra

26 April 1935 in London   Matrix CE-6948   Parlophone F-230

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Duncan Whyte

Alto sax: Dave Shand   Tenor sax: Buddy Featherstonhaugh

Piano: Billy Mason   Guitar: Alan Ferguson

String bass: Bill Busby   Drums: George Elrick

Composition: Valaida Snow

'Sing, You Sinners'   Valaida Snow w Billy Mason and His Orchestra

26 April 1935 in London   Matrix CE-6949   Parlophone F-230

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Duncan Whyte

Alto sax: Dave Shand   Tenor sax: Buddy Featherstonhaugh

Piano: Billy Mason   Guitar: Alan Ferguson

String bass: Bill Busby   Drums: George Elrick

Composition: Sam Coslow / W. Frank Harling

'Until the Real Thing Comes Along'   Valaida Snow

8 Sep 1936 in London   Matrix CE-7819-1   Parlophone F-559

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Harry Owen   Trombone: Jock Fleming

Alto / tenor sax: Freddy Gardner (clarinet)

Piano: George Scott-Wood   Guitar: Joe Young

String bass: Dick Escott   Drums: Jock Jacobsen

Composition: Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin / LE Freeman / Mann Holiner / Alberta Nichols

'My Heart Belongs to Daddy'   Valaida Snow w Lulle Ellboj and His Orchestra

28 Aug 1939 in Stockholm, Sweden   Matrix 4878-SEC   Sonora 3557

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Bengt Artander / Gunnar Green   Trombone: Sture Green

Alto sax: Lulle Ellboj / Gunnar Wallberg   Tenor sax: Rudolf Eriksson

Piano: Willard Ringstrand   Guitar: Kalle Lohr

String bass: Roland Bengtsson   Drums: Olle Sahlin

Composition: Cole Porter

'I Can't Give You Anything But Love'   Valaida Snow w the Winstrup Olesen Swingband

26 July 1940 in Copenhagen, Denmark   Matrix 1064-A   Tono 21166

Trumpet: Snow (vocal)   Clarinet: Kaj Moller

Tenor sax: Winstrup Olesen

Piano: Leo Mathisen   Guitar: Helge Jacobsen

String bass: Christian Jensen   Drums: Kai Fischer

Music: Jimmy McHugh   Lyrics: Dorothy Fields   1928

'St. Louis Blues'   Valaida Snow w the Winstrup Olesen Swingband

26 July 1940 in Copenhagen, Denmark   Matrix 1065-B   Tono 21166

Trumpet: Snow (vocal)   Clarinet: Kaj Moller

Tenor sax: Winstrup Olesen

Piano: Leo Mathisen   Guitar: Helge Jacobsen

String bass: Christian Jensen   Drums: Kai Fischer

Composition: WC Handy

During World War II Snow was recording in Copenhagen, Denmark, with an obscure group called Matadorerne in 1941 when she was incarcerated for theft and drugs by the Nazi government and detained until a prisoner exchange in May the next year [Wikipedia]. Of numerous titles with the Matadorerne, Lord's lists such as 'You're Driving Me Crazy' / 'Take It Easy' (Tono 21165) gone down on 26 July 1940 and 'Cherokee' / 'Liza' (Tono SP4195) recorded in autumn of 1942. Lord picks up Valaida again in 1945 in Los Angeles, performing trumpet and vocals on 'St. Louis Blues' for the AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) Jubilee #145. She made several more recordings in the forties as she continued her career in the States.

'Patience and Fortitude'   Valaida Snow w the Ali Baba Trio   Film

Soundie of early 1946   See the compilation 'Hot Snow' on Rosetta RR 1305

Trumpet: Snow (vocal)   Guitar: Big Mike McKendrick

Accordion: Cleveland Nickerson   Bass: Calvin Ponder

Composition: Billy Moore Jr. / Blackie Warren

'If You Only Knew'   Valaida Snow w the Ali Baba Trio   Film

Soundie of early 1946   See the compilation 'Hot Snow' on Rosetta RR 1305

Trumpet: Snow (vocal)   Guitar: Big Mike McKendrick

Accordion: Cleveland Nickerson   Bass: Calvin Ponder

Composition: Floyd Hunt

'Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone'   Valaida Snow w the Jimmy Mundy Orchestra

Jan 1950   Matrix D16   Derby 729

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Jonah Jones   Baritone sax: Dave McRae

Composition: Dudley Brooks / Henry Nemo / Kay Starr

'Chloe' ('Song of the Swamp')   Valaida Snow w the Jimmy Mundy Orchestra

Jan 1950   Matrix D18   Derby 735

Trumpet: Snow (vocal) / Jonah Jones   Baritone sax: Dave McRae

Music: Charles N. Daniels as Neil Morét   Lyrics:  Gus Kahn   1927

Valaida's popularity was in decline by the time she laid out 'I Ain't Gonna Tell It' / 'If You Don't Mean It' (Chess 1555) some time in 1953 in Chicago, where Lord, Discogs and RYM give her up.

'I Ain't Gonna Tell' It'   Valaida Snow

From Snow's last-known session

1953 in Chicago   Matrix 4405   Chess 1555

Composition: Rudy Toombs

'If You Don't Mean It'   Valaida Snow

From Snow's last-known session

1953 in Chicago   Matrix 4407   Chess 1555

Composition: Singelton

Snow died on 30 May 1956 of brain hemorrhage in New York City, only 52 years of age.