Skeeter Best

Clifton "Skeeter" Best (November 20, 1914, Kinston, North Carolina – May 27, 1985, Bronx, New York) was an American jazz guitarist.^[1][2]

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^[3] 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.^[1]

In 1958, he recorded with Mercer Ellington and taught in New York City.^[1] He also recorded with Harry Belafonte, Etta Jones, Nellie Lutcher, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, Paul Quinichette, Jimmy Rushing, Sonny Stitt, Sir Charles Thompson, and Lucky Thompson.

Discography

• Rockin' with Milt, Milt Buckner, 1955
• "Fever", Little Willie John, 1956
• Manhattan at Midnight, Ellis Larkins, 1956
• The Modern Jazz Sextet, 1956
• Tricotism, Lucky Thompson, 1956
• Ballads & Blues, Milt Jackson (Atlantic, 1956)
• Soul Brothers, Ray Charles/Milt Jackson, 1957
• The Jazz Odyssey of James Rushing, Esq, Jimmy Rushing, 1957
• Cootie Williams in Hi Fi, Cootie Williams, 1958
• Out of My Mind, The Platters, 1958
• The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions, Ike Quebec (Blue Note, 1959)
• Don't Go to Strangers, Etta Jones, 1960
• Silver Vibes, Lionel Hampton, 1960
• The Soul Book, Freddie Roach, 1966
• The Great Aretha Franklin, 1973
• Ducktail, Joe Clay, 1986
• Fatha, Vol. 1, Earl Hines, 1988
• 1939–1940, Erskine Hawkins, 1992
• Maggie: The Savoy Sessions, Howard McGhee, 1995
• Verve Jazz Masters 50, Sonny Stitt, 1995^[4]

References