Denzil Best

When it comes to the Best drummers, the tale of Denzil Best comes out alot better than that of Pete Best, also known as "I coulda been a Beatle." Far from languishing in obscurity, Denzil Best's restrained but swinging playing style continues to influence modern players such as Gerry Hemingway. As a composer, Best came up with at least one tune that has become a popular jazz standard. This "Move" he made on the jazz chessboard has been recorded or performed by dozens of great artists from Miles Davis to the new wave guitar hotshot Snakefinger. There is also a controversy surrounding the Thelonious Monk hit "Bemsha Swing", with Best often credited as a co-writer, and some jazz critics willing to go far enough to refer to Best as "the guy who really wrote "Bemsha Swing". Such snits about who really wrote which tune abound, with for example pianist Sadik Hakim claiming that Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning" was lifted right off his keyboard. If the idea is to come up with the biggest and Best accomplishments, these arguments are a bit "Wee", which happens to be the name of another bebop number composed by Best. Much more obvious is the fact that Best was one of the primary instigators of the entire bop revolution, establishing a double beachhead as a composer as well as drummer. Some listeners may not quite comprehend how a drummer, referred to in jokes as "a guy who hangs around with musicians", could write a tune as intricate melodically as "Move". But his musical skills were not limited to drums by any means. Best played trumpet and piano as well, and was said to have done some of his best composing on the vibraphone; "Move" is an extremely popular number for players of the latter instrument who are eager to demonstrate how rapidly they can "Move" their mallets. The drums,...