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 1-25 of 54 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-073459 | 10-in. | 3/19/1942 | She'll always remember | Earl Hines Orchestra ; Madeline Green ; Three Varieties | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-073460 | 10-in. | 3/19/1942 | Skylark | Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-073461 | 10-in. | 3/19/1942 | Second balcony jump | Earl Hines Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-073462 | 10-in. | 3/19/1942 | Stormy Monday blues | Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-0627 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | Pretty eyed baby | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0628 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | Don't you think I oughta know | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0629 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | That night we said goodbye | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0630 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | You didn't have to say I love you | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0631 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | Shorty's got to go | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0632 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | Half a love | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0633 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | Leave it to fate, Gate | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-0634 | 10-in. | 3/5/1947 | Sharkies' boogie | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-1483 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | You're the dream of a lifetime | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal trio and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-1484 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | Chickasaw limited | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-1485 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | My baby's giving me the brush | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal trio and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | D7VB-1486 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | My little red head | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-1488 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | Elevator boogie | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-1489 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | For once in your life | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-1490 | 10-in. | 8/6/1947 | I learned to cry (when you said good-bye) | Gus Gordon ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-1963 | 10-in. | 11/2/1947 | Mama, mama, mama | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-1964 | 10-in. | 11/2/1947 | Believe me, beloved | Gus Gordon ; William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | D7VB-1965 | 10-in. | 11/2/1947 | So tired | Gus Gordon ; William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-2018 | 10-in. | 11/8/1947 | My baby likes to be-bop (and I like to be-bop too) | William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-2019 | 10-in. | 11/8/1947 | Let's be sweethearts again | Gus Gordon ; William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | D7VB-2020 | 10-in. | 11/8/1947 | Say something nice about me | Gus Gordon ; William Johnson ; Musical Notes (Bill Johnson) | Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz quintet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Best, Skeeter," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304206.
Best, Skeeter. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304206.
"Best, Skeeter." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 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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