Skeets Tolbert, born Campbell Aurelius Tolbert, was a composer, arranger, and bandleader active primarily in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Leading his group the Gentlemen of Swing, he recorded prolifically for Decca Records and other labels, producing dance-oriented music rooted in swing and jump blues. His catalog includes dozens of original tunes such as "Hit That Jive, Jack," "Jumpin' Like Mad," "Sugar Boogie," and "Those Draftin' Blues." While his compositions were written for nightclub dancing rather than the concert hall, "Hit That Jive, Jack" found wider reach through a popular recording by Nat King Cole. Tolbert also worked as a clarinetist and alto saxophonist, and his bands included musicians who went on to wider recognition, among them guitarist Freddie Green and drummer Kenny Clarke.
