0
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
American musician
1
Jerome Richardson
Jerome Richardson
American jazz multi-instrumentalist
2
Lucky Thompson
Lucky Thompson
American saxophonist
3
Jimmy Cleveland
Jimmy Cleveland
American jazz trombonist
4
Wendell Marshall
Wendell Marshall
American jazz musician; double bassist
5
Aaron Bell
Aaron Bell
American musician
6
Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
American jazz guitarist
7
Ernie Royal
Ernie Royal
American jazz trumpeter
8
Barry Galbraith
Barry Galbraith
American guitarist
9
Urbie Green
Urbie Green
American jazz trombonist
10
Al Grey
Al Grey
American jazz musician
11
Eddie Bert
Eddie Bert
American musician
12
Julius Watkins
Julius Watkins
American jazz musician
13
Ed Thigpen
Ed Thigpen
American jazz drummer
14
Patti Bown
Patti Bown
American musician
15
Charlie Persip
Charlie Persip
American jazz drummer
16
Charlie Rouse
Charlie Rouse
American musician
17
Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell
American jazz tenor saxophonist
18
Sam Woodyard
Sam Woodyard
American jazz drummer
19
Quentin Jackson
Quentin Jackson
American musician
20
Henry Coker
Henry Coker
American musician
21
Frank Wess
Frank Wess
American saxophonist and flautist, composer and arranger
22
Danny Bank
Danny Bank
American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist
23
Harry Edison
Harry Edison
American trumpeter
24
Osie Johnson
Osie Johnson
American jazz drummer, arranger and singer
25
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
American jazz saxophonist
26
Reunald Jones
Reunald Jones
American musician
27
Matthew Gee
Matthew Gee
American musician
28
Peck Morrison
Peck Morrison
American musician
29
Milt Jackson
Milt Jackson
American musician
30
Marty Paich
Marty Paich
American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director and bandleader (1925-1995)
31
Jimmy Hamilton
Jimmy Hamilton
American jazz musician
32
Clark Terry
Clark Terry
American swing and bebop musician
33
Joe Wilder
Joe Wilder
American trumpeter
34
Count Basie Orchestra
Count Basie Orchestra
American big band led by Count Basie
35
Percy Heath
Percy Heath
American musician
36
Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones
American musician
37
Henri Renaud
Henri Renaud
French musician
38
Dave Bailey
Dave Bailey
American drummer
39
Harold Ashby
Harold Ashby
American musician
40
Rudy Powell
Rudy Powell
American jazz musician
41
George Duvivier
George Duvivier
American musician
42
Johnny Coles
Johnny Coles
American trumpeter
43
Bill Graham
Bill Graham
American musician
44
John Clayton
John Clayton
American jazz and classical double bassist
45
Sam Jones
Sam Jones
American double bassist and cellist
46
Leonard Gaskin
Leonard Gaskin
American musician
47
Jo Jones
Jo Jones
American jazz drummer
48
Pierre Michelot
Pierre Michelot
French jazz double bassist
49
Al Cohn
Al Cohn
American saxophonist
50
Mundell Lowe
Mundell Lowe
American jazz guitarist (1922-2017)
51
Bill Doggett
Bill Doggett
American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist
52
Percy Brice
Percy Brice
American musician
53
Roger Guérin
Roger Guérin
French jazz trumpeter and singer
54
Snooky Young
Snooky Young
American musician
55
Joe Newman
Joe Newman
American musician
56
Everett Barksdale
Everett Barksdale
American jazz guitarist
57
Sonny Russo
Sonny Russo
American jazz trombonist
58
Sonny Greer
Sonny Greer
American jazz drummer
59
Ken Kersey
Ken Kersey
Canadian musician
60
Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer
American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer
61
Money Johnson
Money Johnson
American musician
62
Britt Woodman
Britt Woodman
American jazz trombonist
63
Bernie Glow
Bernie Glow
American musician
64
Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Danish-born American jazz musician and trombonist
65
Kenny Dorham
Kenny Dorham
American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer
66
Al Hall
Al Hall
American musician
67
Frank Rehak
Frank Rehak
American musician
68
Ray Nance
Ray Nance
American musician
69
Etta Jones
Etta Jones
American jazz singer
70
Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
American jazz musician and actress
71
Joe Puma
Joe Puma
American musician
72
Walter Bishop Jr.
Walter Bishop Jr.
American jazz pianist, recording artist
73
Henderson Chambers
Henderson Chambers
American musician
74
Thad Jones
Thad Jones
American jazz trumpeter
75
Nat Adderley
Nat Adderley
American recording artist; jazz cornet and trumpet player
76
Paul Chambers
Paul Chambers
American musician
77
Cat Anderson
Cat Anderson
American jazz trumpeter
Skeeter Best
American musician

Skeeter Best

Intro
American musician
Genres
Music

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.