ABSTRACT
American pianist, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He started performing publicly in high school. In 1919 Stevens made a test recording for Edison, and was engaged as Edison’s personal pianist. He tried out new music and experimented with placement of the piano in recordings. Stevens also made numerous records, as soloist, with his “Recording Orchestra,” and with the Ernest L. Stevens Trio, which had a banjo (M. Aron) and saxophone (Charles J. Murray), with various other members (including at one time John Sorin, performing on a Chinese block). Most of his commercial records were made in the experimental studio in West Orange, New Jersey. He retired to private teaching, and had an active studio into the 1980s. Stevens died in Montclair, New Jersey.
