Arthur Relsmond "Skeets" Herfurt (28 May 1911 – 17 April 1992) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.

Career highlights

Herfurt was born in Cincinnati and raised in Denver and played in bands while attending the University of Colorado. He performed with Smith Ballew (1934), Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey (together 1934–1935, Jimmy 1935–1937, and Tommy 1937–1939), and Ray Noble. After moving to California, he worked with Alvino Rey, then served in the Army from 1944 to 1945. After the war, he flourished as a studio musician in Hollywood, led his own band, and performed with Benny Goodman from 1946 to 1947 and Earle Spencer in 1946.

His studio credits, into the 1960s, include sessions with Billy May, Louis Armstrong, Georgie Auld, Jack Teagarden, and Stan Kenton. He worked with Goodman again in 1961 and 1964. End of the 1960s he joined the Ray Conniff orchestra for several tours (a. o. Japan and Germany) and recording sessions during the 1970s. Herfurt was a member of Lawrence Welk's orchestra and weekly television show from 1979 to 1982, performing on lead alto saxophone.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

He died in New Orleans at the age of 80.

Filmography

Herfurt appeared as a saxophonist in the 1956 film The Nightmare, and plays clarinet on the soundtrack. He also performed on the soundtrack to the 1974 film The Fortune.

Discography

With Glen Gray

  • Casa Loma in Hi-Fi (Capitol, 1956)
  • Sounds of the Great Bands! (Capitol, 1958)
  • Solo Spotlight (Capitol, 1960)
  • Please Mr. Gray... (Capitol, 1961)

With Billy May

  • A Band Is Born (Capitol, 1952)
  • Sorta-May (Capitol, 1955)
  • The Girls and Boys On Broadway (Capitol, 1960)

With others

References

General references

  • "Skeets Herfurt," Grove Jazz online OCLC 50960970

Inline citations

  1. ↑ The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz, 1900-1950, Vol. 2 (of three volumes), by Roger D. Kinkle (1916–2000), New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House Publishers (1974) OCLC 0870002295
  2. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Third edition, Eight volumes, edited by Colin Larkin, London: Muze (acquired in 2009 by Rovi Corporation) (1998)
  3. ↑ The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, First edition, Two volumes, edited by Barry Kernfeld, London: Macmillan Press, 1988
  4. ↑ The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, edited by Barry Kernfeld, New York: St. Martin's Press (1994)
  5. ↑ Who's Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swing Street, by John Chilton, Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co. (1972)
  6. ↑ The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Second edition, three volumes, edited by Barry Kernfeld, London: Macmillan Publishers (2002)
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