Arthur Relsmond "Skeets" Herfurt (28 May 1911 – 17 April 1992) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

saxophonist and clarinetist.

Career highlights

Herfurt was born in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and raised in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

and played in bands while attending the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

. He performed with

Smith Ballew Sykes "Smith" Ballew (January 21, 1902 – May 2, 1984) was an American actor, sophisticated singer, orchestra leader, and a western singing star. He also was billed as Buddy Blue, Charles Roberts, and Billy Smith. Early years The son of Wil ...

(1934), Jimmy and

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

(together 1934–1935, Jimmy 1935–1937, and Tommy 1937–1939), and

Ray Noble Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...

. After moving to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, he worked with

Alvino Rey Alvin McBurney (July 1, 1908 – February 24, 2004), known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American jazz guitarist and bandleader. Career Alvin McBurney was born in Oakland, California, United States, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Early i ...

, then served in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

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 Robert Earle Spencer (born 26 June 1925 Welborn, Kansas – 19 September 1973 Fillmore, Utah) was an American trombonist and leader of a progressive swing big band bearing his name — Earle Spencer and His Orchestra. He formed the band in 1946 ...

in 1946. His studio credits, into the 1960s, include sessions with Billy May, Louis Armstrong,

Georgie Auld Georgie Auld (May 19, 1919 – January 8, 1990) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. Early years Auld was born John Altwerger in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. Before the family left Canada, Au ...

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...

, and

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

. 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 Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the '' The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, te ...

's orchestra and weekly television show from 1979 to 1982, performing on lead alto saxophone.''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Second edition,'' three volumes, edited by Barry Kernfeld, London:

Macmillan Publishers Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publ ...

(2002) He died in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

at the age of 80.

Filmography

Herfurt appeared as a saxophonist in the 1956 film ''

The Nightmare ''The Nightmare'' is a 1781 oil painting by Swiss artist Henry Fuseli. It shows a woman in deep sleep with her arms thrown below her, and with a demonic and apelike incubus crouched on her chest. The painting's dreamlike and haunting erotic ...

'', and plays clarinet on the soundtrack. He also performed on the soundtrack to the 1974 film ''

The Fortune ''The Fortune'' is a 1975 American black comedy film starring Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, and directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Adrien Joyce focuses on two bumbling con men who plot to steal the fortune of a wealthy young heir ...

''.

Discography

With

Glen Gray Glenn Gray Knoblauch (June 7, 1900 – August 23, 1963), known professionally as Glen Gray, was an American jazz saxophonist and leader of the Casa Loma Orchestra.'' The Mississippi Rag'', "Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra," George A. B ...

* ''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 *

Ray Anthony Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Biography Anthony was born to an Italian family in Ben ...

, ''Ray Anthony Plays Steve Allen'' (Capitol, 1958) *

, '' In the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra'' (EmArcy/Mercury, 1956) * Joe "Fingers" Carr, ''The Riotous, Raucous, Red-Hot 20's!'' (Warner Bros., 1961) *

Frankie Carle Frankie Carle (born Francis Nunzio Carlone, March 25, 1903 – March 7, 2001) was an American pianist and bandleader. As a very popular bandleader in the 1940s and 1950s, Carle was nicknamed "The Wizard of the Keyboard". "Sunrise Serenade" was Car ...

, ''Era: The 30' Music of the Great Bands'' (Dot, 1968) *

Larry Clinton Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was an American musician, best known as a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader and arranger. Biography Clinton was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He became a ver ...

, ''The Uncollected Larry Clinton and His Orchestra 1937-1938'' (Hindsight, 1977) * Ray Conniff, ''Turn Around Look at Me'' (CBS, 1968) * Ray Conniff, ''Concert in Stereo'' (Columbia, 1970) *

Bob Eberly Robert Eberly (born Robert Eberle; July 24, 1916 – November 17, 1981) was an American big band vocalist best known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell. His younger brother Ray was also a big-band singer, ma ...

Helen O'Connell Helen O'Connell (May 23, 1920 – September 9, 1993) was an American singer, actress, and hostess, described as "the quintessential big band singer of the 1940s". Early life Born in Lima, Ohio, O'Connell grew up in Toledo, Ohio. By the time ...

, ''Recapturing the Excitement of the Jimmy Dorsey Era'' (Warner Bros., 1961) * Benny Goodman, ''Hello Benny!'' (Capitol, 1964) *

The Four Freshmen The Four Freshmen is an American male vocal quartet that blends open-harmonic jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers, and The Mel-Tones, founded in the barbershop tradition. The singers accom ...

, ''Four Freshmen and Five Saxes'' (Capitol, 1957) * Bob Keene, ''Bob Keene & His Orchestra'' (Fresh Sound, 1954) *

, '' Kenton in Hi-Fi'' (Capitol, 1956) *

Pete Rugolo Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settle ...

, '' 10 Saxophones and 2 Basses'' (Mercury, 1961) *

, ''This Is Teagarden!'' (Capitol, 1956)

References

General references * "Skeets Herfurt," '' Grove Jazz'' online Inline citations

External links

Skeets Herfurt recordings
at the Discography of American Historical Recordings. {{DEFAULTSORT:Herfurt, Skeets 1911 births 1992 deaths American jazz clarinetists American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Musicians from Ohio 20th-century American musicians Lawrence Welk 20th-century saxophonists American male jazz musicians Earle Spencer Orchestra members 20th-century American male musicians