Len Skeat

Leonard Skeat (9 February 1937 – 9 March 2021) was a British^[1] jazz double-bassist, and the younger brother of Bill Skeat, a saxophone player (1926–1999).^[2][3]

Len Skeat
Len Skeat at Upwell Jazz Club, 2020
Background information
Birth name	Leonard Skeat
Born	(1937-02-09)9 February 1937 East London, England
Died	9 March 2021(2021-03-09) (aged 84)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass
Years active	1960s–2021

Biography

He was born in East End of London, and worked with the Ted Heath band.^[2] During the 1970s, he was in demand and almost resident at the Pizza Express Jazz Club,^[2] and Pizza on the Park Jazz Club (closed 2010) in London. He was a member of the band, Velvet.^[4]

Skeat recorded with Mel Tormé, Ben Webster, Billy Eckstine, Lionel Hampton, Scott Hamilton, Helen Merrill, Lou Rawls, Harry Edison, Denny Wright, Digby Fairweather, Spike Robinson, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Stéphane Grappelli,^[5] Dick Morrissey, Bill Watrous, Randy Sandke, and Russian Gregory Fine. He was also a member of the Eddie Thompson Trio and Charly Antolini's Jazz Power.

Discography

With Charly Antolini

• 1989 Cookin' (L+R)
• 1990 Charly Antolini Meets Dick Morrissey
• 1993 Right-On (Bell)

With Bud Freeman

• 1980 The Dolphin Has A Message

With Spike Robinson

• 1984 Spike Robinson-Eddie Thompson Trip/At Chesters Volumes 1 & 2 (Hep)
• 1986 In Town with Elaine Delmar (Hep)
• 1987 The Gershwin Collection (Hep)

With Bill Watrous

• 1982 Bill Watrous in London

With Gregory Fine

• 1999 Gregory Fine Trio: «Happy Bluesday»
• 2000 Gregory Fine Trio: «Waltz For You»
• 2001 Gregory Fine Quartet: «Fine Plays Fine»