Skeets Tolbert

Campbell Aurelius " Skeets " Tolbert ( born February 14, 1909 in Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, † November 30, 2000 in Houston, Texas ) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, singer and bandleader.

Tolbert grew up in Lincoln Town, North Carolina and studied at the Johnson C. Smith University. From 1929 he played in Dave Taylor's Dixie Serenaders band and took with her 1931 record on. In 1934 he moved to New York City, where he worked with Charlie Alexander, before he joined the house band at the Savoy Ballroom. In 1936, he worked at Fats Waller, then in a band that was formed around the Olympic athlete Jesse Owens 1937. Shortly thereafter, he played in Snub Mosley ' band and took them to Mosley's departure. Freddie Green, Kenny Clarke, Red Richards, Otis Hicks, Carl " Tatti " Smith and Lem Johnson were members of the group with which he recorded in 1939 under the title records Tolbert's Gentlemen of Swing. Tolbert took three years for Decca Records with this ensemble. 1944 emerged for the films title No No Baby, 'Tis You Babe, Blitzkrieg Bombardier and Corn Pone. 1946 Tolbert continued his studies at Columbia University, continued the band broke up and taught as a teacher at a high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1948, he joined the faculty of music at Southern University in Houston. In his later years he was an active musician career largely on, he worked for the Musicians Union American Federation of Musicians, and had a music business.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Skeets Tolbert 1931-1940 ( Classics )
• Skeets Tolbert 1940-1942 ( Classics )