Ed Snodderly // Chimney Smoke
July 21st, 2023
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the one and only Ed Snodderly – a man whose musical talent is matched only by his larger-than-life personality and infectious sense of humor.
Born and raised in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, Snodderly was practically born with a guitar in his hands. His grandfather was a farmer and an old-time fiddler who, along with his brother, won ribbons galore at Knoxville-area fiddlers’ conventions in the 1920s and ’30s. It was in his grandparent’s attic where he stumbled upon a unique treasure. There, hidden amidst the dust and cobwebs, was a quaint three-stringed guitar adorned with elegant señor and señorita silhouettes and a majestic palm tree. The instrument had been passed down through generations and was acquired by Snodderly’s dad and uncles in the 1930s after they had bartered their hard work on neighboring tobacco fields in Union County, Tennessee. It would be this instrument that would spark his lifelong love affair with music.
At the tender age of 12, Snodderly fell head over heels for the sounds of the British invasion and began learning to play those songs. But he never forgot his roots in old-time music, the kind his family had played for generations. It was simply part of the Snodderly’s homespun DNA. This musical heritage set the stage for his unique sound: a blend of traditional Appalachian music with rock, blues, and other influences.
In 1976, the year before he released his first album, Snodderly co-founded the iconic music venue, The Down Home Coffeehouse, and Pickin’ Parlor in Johnson City, TN, with his friend Joe “Tank” Leach. The Down Home is an intimate listening room that hosts countless acts in bluegrass, folk, old-time and blues music. Numerous publications, including the New York Times, have recognized it for its eclecticism.
Snodderly has spent most of his life as a traveling musician while also running the club. Decades before the blending of numerous roots musical styles would give rise to the genre now known as Americana, a wide array of artists graced the Down Home stage, including New Grass Revival, Allison Krause, Norman Blake, John Hartford, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Queen Ida, Koko Taylor, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and Townes van Zandt, to name just a few. Snodderly immortalized the club in his song “Down Home,” a spirited talking-blues track from his 2017 album, Record Shop.
Since his 1977 debut, Sidewalk Shoes, Snodderly has released L.P.s on Sugar Hill and other prestigious roots-oriented labels. He recorded and performed as the Brother Boys with duet partner Eugene Wolf. His songs have been covered by Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, John Cowan, Missy Raines, and others. In 2000, he played a minor role (credited as “Village Idiot”) in the Coen Brothers’ film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
In addition to his work as a musician, Snodderly is also a respected music educator. He has taught workshops and classes on various instruments and styles. He has served as an instructor at East Tennessee State University, where he has mentored some of the most talented artists in the industry. Most notably, Amythyst Kiah, who has received widespread acclaim for her exceptional work in the genre of roots and Americana music.
But Snodderly is more than just a musician that owns a venue who teaches songwriting for ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Program. He is also a storyteller, a poet, and a philosopher. He writes songs that speak to the human condition, songs that make you laugh, cry, and think. He has performed them at festivals, coffeehouses, and dive bars across the land, always drawing a crowd with his infectious energy and unbridled joy for life. He has packaged his latest crop of story songs together for his tenth studio album, Chimney Smoke.
The tracks were written over the last five years in Snodderly’s East Tennessee home. Their origin lies in his desire to create a quintessential Southern album, a chronicle of his Appalachian roots and upbringing. The title track, “Chimney Smoke,” featuring Amythist Kiah, offers a vivid depiction of Appalachian life and is one of the prime examples of Snodderly’s gift for bringing memories and a deep sense of place to life with his intimate lyrics. To help add masterful strokes of color, shade, and texture to an already vibrant narrative, Snodderly enlisted Grammy-nominated producer R.S. Field (Webb Wilder, Todd Snyder, Justin Townes Earle). Snodderly describes him as an eccentric genius passionate about making “Americana great again.”
Recorded in Nashville by legendary and Grammy-winning engineer Bil VornDick (Allison Krauss, Bela Fleck, Bob Dylan, Ralph Stanley, Earls Of Leicester), he and Snodderly had previously worked together. Unfortunately, this would be their last collaboration. VornDick passed suddenly shortly after mixing the record from cancer. Featuring harmonious vocals from Hall of Fame songwriter Gretchen Peters and other veteran musicians, including Shawn Camp, Steve Conn, and Steve Hinson, the record has a definite vibe of southern sensibilities, southern upbringing, of memory, and songs that twist on the eclectic.
“R.S. and I spent many conversations on what we appreciated and were influenced by in music. He and I are the same age, so we grew up with many of the same influences… pop culture, British Invasion, and the sound of an acoustic guitar on a rock n roll recording. The appreciation for Ray Davis of The Kinks – “Walking In The Sunshine Again…..” explains Snodderly. “We invited some of Nashville’s greatest pickers who would appreciate the songs and process. We had in our minds to make a record that felt and sounded like those records of the early 70s; Warm, Groovy, with great songs. Perhaps a Jackson Brown, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, or Don Williams. Etc.”
Along with perfecting the sound on the record, the duo was able to remind us of all of the magic that can be found in a simple tune, a heartfelt lyric, and a life well-lived.
This section seems to be more current and if I was reading it i’d be more interested than to get the early info, but i’m probably too close to this
In 2020, the Southern Region of Folk Alliance recognized Snodderly’s immeasurable impact on Southern folk music with a prestigious lifetime achievement award. But that’s not all – the Wall of Honor at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville features the third verse of his beloved song “The Diamond Stream.”
Snodderly is a true ambassador of Appalachian culture and music, and his music and storytelling continue to inspire and delight audiences of all ages. Whether playing a sold-out concert or sitting around a campfire with friends, he is always at Home with his guitar in his hands, sharing his love of music and the mountains with the world.
Snodderly’s new album is often wistful and nostalgic, filled with unforgettable characters that highlight his gift for crafting lyrics that capture the Appalachian region. Many of his songs are inspired by his own life experiences and his deep connection to the people and culture of East Tennessee. Chimney Smoke is a hypnotic masterpiece that combines modern lyricism with traditional bluegrass and old-time music that elevates Americana to new heights.
PRESS
“Ed Snodderly has an ear for a song.” – The Daily Times
“As sure as the twang in Hank Williams’ voice, Snodderly belongs among the best.” – Herald Courier
“An accomplished songwriter, musician, and supporter of live music.” – Elizabethton Star
“Ed Snodderly is country music outside the box.” – BirthPlaceofCountryMusic.com
Ed Snodderly Plays Mountain Stage – NPR
“It’s immediately apparent that Ed Snodderly is a story teller as well as a musician and songwriter.” – Houston Music Review
“Ed Snodderly: A wild wind, impossible to gauge yet a marvel to behold.” – Bristol Herald Courier