Skeeter Best
Clifton "Skeeter" Best (November 20, 1914 – May 27, 1985) was an American jazz guitarist. Best played in Philadelphia from 1935 to 1940, recording with Slim Marshall and Erskine Hawkins. In 1940, he joined Earl Hines's orchestra, playing with him until he joined the U.S. Navy in 1942. After the war, he played with Bill Johnson from 1945 to 1949. He toured East Asia with Oscar Pettiford in 1951 and 1952, and formed his own trio in the 1950s. He did a critically acclaimed session with Ray Charles and Milt Jackson in 1957 called Soul Brothers. In 1958, he recorded with Mercer Ellington and taught in New York City. He also recorded with Harry Belafonte, Etta Jones, Nellie Lutcher, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, Paul Quinichette, Jimmy Rushing, Sonny Stitt, Charles Thompson, and Lucky Thompson. |
Birth and Death Data: Born November 20, 1914 (North Carolina), Died May 27, 1985 (The Bronx)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1942 - 1958
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 54 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | D7VB-2021 | 10-in. | 11/8/1947 | All dressed up with a broken heart | Gus Gordon ; William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Decca | 81296 | 7/20/1951 | If, if, if you were mine | Gladys Bruce | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 81297 | 7/20/1951 | I've got the blues for my baby | Gladys Bruce | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 81298 | 7/20/1951 | Trinidad Daddy | Gladys Bruce | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 81299 | 7/20/1951 | The right kind of feeling | Gladys Bruce | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82670 | 4/9/1952 | Lonesome and blue | Hal Singer Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82671 | 4/9/1952 | I love the way you love me | Hal Singer Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82672 | 4/9/1952 | Secret love | Hal Singer Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82673 | 4/9/1952 | Please Dr. Jive | Hal Singer Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82958 | 6/16/1952 | Troubles | Joan Shaw | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82959 | 6/16/1952 | Better be on my way | Joan Shaw | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82960 | 6/16/1952 | Until you came along | Joan Shaw | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 82961 | 6/16/1952 | Anything you say | Joan Shaw | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 85845 | 2/9/1954 | Swingin' the blues | Paul Quinichette Quartet | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 85846 | 2/9/1954 | Humpty dumpty heart | Paul Quinichette Quartet | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 85847 | 2/9/1954 | I remember Harlem | Paul Quinichette Quartet | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 85848 | 2/9/1954 | I can't give you anything but love | Paul Quinichette Quartet | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 89964 | 5/16/1956 | Camel rock | Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Band | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 89965 | 5/16/1956 | Up and down | Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Band | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 89966 | 5/16/1956 | Take one | Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Band | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 89967 | 5/16/1956 | The grey bear | Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Band | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 105297 | 7/14/1958 | Steppin' into swing society | Mercer Ellington Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 105298 | 7/14/1958 | Black butterfly | Mercer Ellington Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 105299 | 7/14/1958 | Got my foot in the door | Mercer Ellington Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | 105304 | 7/22/1958 | If you were in my place | Mercer Ellington Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Best, Skeeter," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304206.
Best, Skeeter. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304206.
"Best, Skeeter." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Skeeter Best
Discogs: Skeeter Best
Allmusic: Skeeter Best
Grove: Skeeter Best
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Best, Skeeter, 1914-1985 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93016300
Wikidata: Skeeter Best - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q123263
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/34652238
MusicBrainz: Skeeter Best - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0b65e7ab-6437-4792-82da-7bfb74f72966
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