The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast
Music:Music Interviews
Jazz musician Snoozer Quinn (1907 - 1949) is one of the guitar world’s great enigmas. In his prime, he performed alongside Paul Whiteman, Bix Beiderbecke, the Dorsey Brothers, Louis Armstrong, and others; lore has it that even Les Paul even learned how to hammer-on and pull-off from Snoozer.
But today Snoozer is largely forgotten because his only attempt at solo studio recordings completely disappeared and he died young after a long battle with tuberculosis. To add insult to injury, the only surviving film footage of Snoozer playing guitar has no audio and the only solo recordings we have of him were literally taped from his deathbed.
On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we take a look at Snoozer’s life and legacy with Katy Hobgood Ray and Dan Sumner, who just co-authored a book entitled Snoozer Quinn: Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Pioneer (Out of the Past Music). Half of the book features Katy’s exhaustive biography on Quinn (one of her distant relatives) with rare photos, while the other half features Dan’s transcriptions of eight Snoozer Quinn arrangements.
Over the course of our interview, we learn about Snoozer’s troubled life, how he got his name, his reputation among his peers, his Gibson instruments, and more. Then Dan sheds light on the Herculean task of transcribing the complex work of Snoozer from the available fragments and breadcrumbs, the guitarist’s unique technique and tunings, and a lot more.
Snoozer Quinn: Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Pioneer is available here.
The Fretboard Journal is a reader-supported magazine. If you'd like to subscribe, support what we do, and get our 50th issue (now mailing), simply click here.
We're throwing a 2022 Fretboard Summit in Chicago, where for three days you can attend workshops, panel discussions, live podcast tapings, and try out rare and priceless guitars with the staff of the FJ. Click here for ticket information.
This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.
Podcast 403: Lillian Werbin of Elderly Instruments
Podcast 402: Simon Haycraft of Preston Thompson Guitars
Podcast 401: Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
Podcast 400: Fred Walecki with Isaac Jang
Podcast 399: Michael Gurian & Dick Boak
Podcast 398: Jimmy James
Podcast 397: Joe K. Walsh
Podcast 396: A Tribute to David Crosby
Podcast 395: Lincoln Barr
Podcast 394: Jake Eddy
Podcast 393: Jamie Stillway
Podcast 392: Darrell Jennings of American Music Furniture
Podcast 391: Sierra Hull
Podcast 390: John Shults of True Vintage Guitar
Podcast 389: Kristina R. Gaddy, Author of 'Well of Souls'
Podcast 388: Sam Bush
Podcast 387: Uberfrank Guitars and Daniel Marcus Clark
Podcast 386: Frank Solivan
Podcast 385: TJ Thompson at the 2022 Fretboard Summit
Podcast 384: Simon Dunson
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Immediately Kinfolk
This Next Song‘s About - A Songwriter‘s Podcast
RAISING THE BAR
THE MARATHON LIFE
No Jumper