The World's Most Soulful Horn Player
Bob Snyder's clarinet and saxophone tone is one of the most beautiful sounds you will ever hear. His style can be described as soulful, heartwrentching and definitely tasteful. His talents have been seasoned with many years on the road ... and he has played with many great performers. Dick Johnson, now leading Artie Shaw's band says that Bob is the best player in the world today. Grady Tate, drummer to the stars, says that Bob has resurrected soul: he brings back the honesty and natural feeling of jazz and gospel that has been lost by the new-day technicians...and Lionel Hampton, the grand old master of swing and jazz, says: "I consider Bob Snyder the best clarinet player in the world. I rank him with my old boss, Benny Goodman. I have played and toured with Bob for many years, and I can tell you Bob knows how to swing." Snyder's music will become a major part of America's artistic heritage.
Bob has released eight albums on his Saxy Records label. It all began with Evening at the Grand Volume 1 and then Evening at the Grand Volume 2 ...with a new Dual Compact Disc now available of these two historic sessions Evening at the Grand Volume 1 & 2.
Then came the magnificent Sunday at the Grand:Amazing Grace filled with gospel favorites followed by the reissue of some of Bob's gems from the 60's on The Snyder Sound:Radio Days. He has collaborated with David B. Hooten on two new soon-to-be classic recordings Dixieland Praise! and A Grand Christmas. His latest release is Showtime at the Grand! which is a re-creation of his famous show at the Grand Hotel.
Bob Snyder was born in Danville Indiana in 1936 and first played alto saxophone at the age of eight. By the age of ten, he formed the Hillbilly Kids, a band that played throughout Indiana. While in high school he played in various ensembles and won the Indiana All State Music Contest two years in a row. At 14, he was a featured instrumentalist with the Indiana State Legion Band. During his military service he played with the famed Airmen of Note, an offshoot of Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band, and the original USAF Academy Band. Bob Snyder has played in Memphis where he was a Memphis Horn on Stax Records and he's played in Detroit in the Motown scene. Bob has performed with Tommy Dorsey, Ted Weems, Al Hirt, Pee Wee Hunt, Clyde McCoy, Tex Beneke and Bob Crosby just to name a few. Bob has also been a member of Lionel Hampton's All Stars, touring 34 countries in Europe and Russia.
Mr. Snyder has been the musical director of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan since 1984. His band, the Grand Hotel Orchestra is made of world class musicians.
This last Labor Day weekend, Bob hosted the annual Labor Day Weekend Jazz Concerts at the Grand Hotel, a music festival which featured his saxophone and clarinet along side such greats as Phil Woods, Boots Randolph and Pete Fountain.
Bob Snyder's musical catalog includes seven recordings on his own record label, Saxy Records including the best selling Sunday at the Grand:Amazing Grace which has been a tremendous radio hit across the country. He has just recently released A Grand Christmas with trumpet star David B. Hooten. In 1998 Bob will appear on the Robert Shuller Hour of Power show originating in California from the Crystal Cathedral. Bob Snyder favors the clarinet and saxophone but he can play anything with a reed. In fact in 1988 Bob was not expected to continue playing due to an illness that was progressing and getting worse. He went to record an album for his close friend as a last document of his musical abilities ... when in a instant the reed broke on his saxophone he picked up the clarinet and performed her favorite tune while the tape was rolling. That song was Amazing Grace (which he had never played on clarinet before) and it has become a blockbuster hit wherever it is played. It has a tint of melancholy and lots of soul reflecting his health and outlook .... which as fate would have it, Bob recovered from the illness and today plays as strong as ever.
Bob Snyder and his wife Jan have visited our home town of St. Louis Missouri often. Bob and the band enjoy playing here and have entertained thousands of folks over the years. They frequently go on the air with Jim White of KMOX Radio (1120 AM) and chat about music and life as musicians. Recently they visited and brought their new addition to the band ... a 45' Prevost Tour Bus! A land yacht as Jim White calls it .... the type of vehicle the big bands toured with back in the 40's and 50's. We look forward to their next visit sometime this fall.
Bob's Catalog
Call 961-4656 in St.Louis or1-800-678-8863
