Fred Van Eps Dance Orchestra - Old Roses

Van Eps (1878-1960) mainly was a noted banjoist and banjo maker. The "Van Eps Recording Banjo" was a well-known model until 1930. In 1897 he started recording for Edison, and later also for other labels. The Van Eps Trio recorded steadily from 1912 to 1922. He also led other groups such as the Van Eps Quartet, the Van Eps Specialty Four, and the Van Eps Banjo Orchestra. In 1921, Orlando Kellum, inventor of the Photokinema sound-on-disc sound film system, filmed the Van Eps Trio in The Famous Van Eps Trio in a Bit of Jazz. By the 30s the banjo had fallen out of favor in popular music, and Van Eps switched to guitar, playing as a studio musician with Benny Goodman, Ray Noble, Red Norvo, and others. In the 1950s he attempted a comeback with some banjo recordings. He also worked in vaudeville and influenced pre-bluegrass musicians like Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers. He was the father of jazz guitarist George Van Eps. This recording, with uncredited vocal, was made in 1934.