Biography
When discussions turn to standout percussionists, Denzil Best's story overshadows that of Pete Best, the musician forever linked to the phrase "I coulda been a Beatle." Far from fading into the background, Best's understated yet propulsive approach on the kit continues to shape contemporary players, among them Gerry Hemingway. As a writer of material, he produced at least one piece that entered the standard repertoire, the tune "Move," which dozens of major figures from Miles Davis onward have interpreted, including the new-wave guitarist Snakefinger. Ownership questions persist around Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing," where Best frequently receives co-composer credit and some observers go so far as to label him "the guy who really wrote 'Bemsha Swing.'" Similar disputes recur throughout jazz history; pianist Sadik Hakim, for instance, asserted that Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning" originated on his own keyboard. Arguments of this sort seem comparatively minor when weighed against Best's larger contributions, a perspective that resonates with the title of another bebop line he authored, "Wee." What stands out clearly is his foundational role in launching the bop movement on two fronts, both as composer and as drummer. Listeners may wonder how a percussionist, the perennial subject of jokes describing the role as "a guy who hangs around with musicians," could craft a melody as harmonically refined as "Move," yet Best's abilities extended well beyond the drum set. He also performed on trumpet and piano, and reportedly developed some of his strongest compositions at the vibraphone, an instrument for which "Move" remains a favored showcase for rapid mallet technique.
Drums entered Best's instrumental palette relatively late. Born and deceased in New York City, he did not take up the instrument until his mid-twenties, meaning his professional experience was still limited when he participated in Monk's first significant recording date. That mid-1940s session, supervised by Joe Davis, placed him alongside tenor saxophone colossus Coleman Hawkins and bassist "Basie" Robinson. Certain accounts characterize his drumming on these sides as "inaudible," a quality that may nevertheless have complemented Monk's idiosyncratic aesthetic; Ben Riley, one of Monk's key later drummers, cultivated a comparably restrained dynamic specifically to avoid disturbing diners in restaurant settings. These early Hawkins dates form a crucial portion of Best's recorded legacy and affirm his place within the bop vanguard. Less familiar examples include initial tracks cut by trumpeter Little Ben Harris of the Earl Hines Band, with Best joined by bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Clyde Hart. Across jazz idioms, Best quickly became a favored session player, lending his services to Illinois Jacquet, Lee Konitz, Ben Webster, Fats Navarro, and numerous others.
In 1949 he became a member of George Shearing's inaugural quintet, whose personnel included guitarist Chuck Wayne. The setting highlighted Best's delicate brushwork, while his sophisticated grasp of harmony proved useful in following the blind pianist through his improvisational explorations. His tenure with Shearing received lasting literary mention in Jack Kerouac's On the Road, which notes: "The drummer, Denzil Best, sat motionless except for his wrists snapping the brushes." This observation not only captures Best's style but also ranks among Kerouac's more economical sentences. Throughout the 1950s he worked extensively with Erroll Garner, again emphasizing masterful brush playing on par with that of bebop drummer Art Taylor. Maintaining such wrist motion grew increasingly difficult, however, as Best developed a progressive condition marked by calcium deposits along the wrist bones, eventually rendering him unable to perform. One of his last recorded appearances is the 1962 album Portrait of Sheila Jordan. In the mid-1960s he succumbed to injuries sustained after falling down a New York City subway staircase, an accident that also claimed trumpeter Woody Shaw among other jazz figures.
Drums entered Best's instrumental palette relatively late. Born and deceased in New York City, he did not take up the instrument until his mid-twenties, meaning his professional experience was still limited when he participated in Monk's first significant recording date. That mid-1940s session, supervised by Joe Davis, placed him alongside tenor saxophone colossus Coleman Hawkins and bassist "Basie" Robinson. Certain accounts characterize his drumming on these sides as "inaudible," a quality that may nevertheless have complemented Monk's idiosyncratic aesthetic; Ben Riley, one of Monk's key later drummers, cultivated a comparably restrained dynamic specifically to avoid disturbing diners in restaurant settings. These early Hawkins dates form a crucial portion of Best's recorded legacy and affirm his place within the bop vanguard. Less familiar examples include initial tracks cut by trumpeter Little Ben Harris of the Earl Hines Band, with Best joined by bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Clyde Hart. Across jazz idioms, Best quickly became a favored session player, lending his services to Illinois Jacquet, Lee Konitz, Ben Webster, Fats Navarro, and numerous others.
In 1949 he became a member of George Shearing's inaugural quintet, whose personnel included guitarist Chuck Wayne. The setting highlighted Best's delicate brushwork, while his sophisticated grasp of harmony proved useful in following the blind pianist through his improvisational explorations. His tenure with Shearing received lasting literary mention in Jack Kerouac's On the Road, which notes: "The drummer, Denzil Best, sat motionless except for his wrists snapping the brushes." This observation not only captures Best's style but also ranks among Kerouac's more economical sentences. Throughout the 1950s he worked extensively with Erroll Garner, again emphasizing masterful brush playing on par with that of bebop drummer Art Taylor. Maintaining such wrist motion grew increasingly difficult, however, as Best developed a progressive condition marked by calcium deposits along the wrist bones, eventually rendering him unable to perform. One of his last recorded appearances is the 1962 album Portrait of Sheila Jordan. In the mid-1960s he succumbed to injuries sustained after falling down a New York City subway staircase, an accident that also claimed trumpeter Woody Shaw among other jazz figures.