Doc West

Harold West aka Hal "Doc" West ( born August 12, 1915 in Wolford, North Dakota; † May 4, 1951 in Cleveland, Ohio) was an American jazz drummer of the swing and bebop.

Harold "Doc" West played in the 1930s, among others, Tiny Parham, Erskine Tate and 1937-1938 with Roy Eldridge. He replaced Chick Webb few months before his death in his band, worked in the 1940s along with the first bebop musicians in Minton 's Playhouse, so in 1941 with Dizzy Gillespie and Don Byas. In 1944, he collaborated with Oscar Pettiford. In September of the same year he was a member of the quintet of Tiny Grimes, as he accompanied for the Savoy label Charlie Parker on his first record session ( the legendary Red Cross session). In addition to West recordings of Don Byas, Billie Holiday, Big Joe Turner, Slam Stewart, Erroll Garner, Wardell Gray, Jay McShann and other musicians was involved.

Disco printing specifications

• Don Byas: 1945, Vol 2 ( Classics )
• Roy Eldridge: The Big Sound of Little Jazz ( Topaz, 1935-43 ), After You've Gone (GRP, 1936-1939)
• Wardell Gray: One For Prez ( Black Lion, 1946)
• Erroll Garner: Historical First Recording ( Jazz Anthology, 1944); Jazz Around Midnight ( Verve, 1945-1955 ), 1949-1950 ( Classics )
• Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol 8 (Columbia, 1939-1940 )
• Jay McShann: 1941-1943 ( Classics )
• Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy and DIAL Recordings ( Savoy, 1944-1948 )
• Oscar Pettiford: Bass Hits ( Topaz, 1943-1946 )
• Slam Stewart: 1945-1946 ( Classics )