ABSTRACT
American banjoist; his name spelled at first Van Epps, then with one “p.” He learned to play by listening to Vess Ossman on wax cylinders, and later had the satisfaction of remaking nearly all the Ossman records for Victor. He was a great success as soloist (George Gershwin was one of his accompanists), and with ensembles of his own devising, the Van Eps Trio (he and his brother William on banjos, with Felix Arndt at the
piano-later replaced by Frank E. Banta; the second banjo later replaced by drummer Eddie King, who was in turn replaced by saxophonist Nathan Glantz) and the Van Eps Quartet (Joe Green, xylophonist, joining the trio).
