Although a decent trumpet soloist,
John Nesbitt was more significant as an arranger during his relatively brief life. He gained experience playing with Lillian Jones' Jazz Hounds and Amanda Randolph.
Nesbitt was associated with
McKinney's Cotton Pickers from 1925-31 (its key years). He was on all of the Cotton Pickers' records during that period, and he recorded on a date under Jean Goldkette's name and with
the Chocolate Dandies.
Nesbitt also contributed arrangements to the orchestras of
Fletcher Henderson and
Luis Russell. After leaving the Cotton Pickers,
Nesbitt worked with Zack Whyte, Speed Webb and
Earle Warren before his early death.
Nesbitt, a somewhat forgotten name today, never led his own recording session. ~ Scott Yanow