by Eugene ChadbourneForget Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Chet Atkins, or Chuck Berry, the most frequently heard guitarist in the world is none of the above. Not that exactly who it is has ever been determined to anyone's satisfaction, but a few votes at least should go for Perry Botkin. His is not a household name, but his guitar playing is definitely a household sound. The string of recording credits in the hundreds should and does inspire awe, and the stature of artists with whom he has played indicate that Botkin was a guitarist that was hired by the best in the business, even if sometimes all they had him do was plunk a few chords way in the background. Botkin also heads a family dynasty that has been carried on through Perry Botkin Jr., a musician, producer, and songwriter who is one of the only artists whose recording session credits rival his father's. The senior Botkin was also the original and very first banjo player in Spike Jones and the City Slickers, but anyone who caught a glimpse of later replacement Freddie Morgan's grinning mug would be glad that Botkin left the post. He was glad as well, because instead of slaving for Jones on endless tours and having his arrangement ideas nicked by Jones' publishing staff, he became a first-call session player in Hollywood for radio, television, and movies. And that was what he was still doing when he died at the age of 66, meaning that while a person who turns on the television might have to wait days to hear a lick by Clapton, Page, Garcia, Feliciano, and others, the sounds of Perry Botkin will be as close as the next detective show soundtrack. 　　Botkin was a Midwesterner and got into picking professionally early on. At 19, he was already a sideman for the Hale Byers band, jumping from there to the progressive and memorable ensembles of Paul Whiteman. During this period of inhabiting various jazz rhythm sections, Botkin played with the likes of trombonist Jack Teagarden, trumpeter Red Nichols, and of course Louis Armstrong. He also collaborated with songwriters who performed, such as Victor Young, Ella Logan, and Johnny Green. On radio he began performing with Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby, none of which could be considered sloughing off. Jones and Botkin had known each other since the late '30s when they started crossing paths in recording studios. Both worked for Young, often providing backup on radio broadcasts or club dates featuring classy guest vocalists such as Crosby or Judy Garland. Botkin had his own group together during this time as well and would regularly employ Jones as the drummer. The guitarist's status as bandleader was apparently something practiced in name only. The Botkin band was a chaotic democracy run by whatever musicians were on the job. The earliest actual City Slickers band had Jones as a much more hands-on bandleader, sometimes as in hands around the throat of the musicians. Other players in these early bands were trombonist Kingsley Jackson, pianist Stanley Wrightsman, bassist Hank Stern, and trumpeter Frank Wiley. At the group's premiere recording for RCA in 1941, a mixup of styles were performed including jug band, honky tonk, ragtime, swing, and even a song done in classic music hall style. By this time the group was called the City Slickers and Jones was officially the straw boss, but not every player involved saw the transistion as clear and logical. Especially Botkin, who almost went to court with Jones over what had happened. He felt the music of the Slickers belonged to the members collectively and also felt that the published arrangements had all been created that way as well. Other players felt it was Jones' motivation, sometimes bordering on manic, that had made the difference. Botkin was gone before the band's rise to fame began, mostly due to these squabbles. His banjo talents are spotlighted on the 1942 RCA recording, "Clink Clink, Another Drink." For further adventures in the Hollywood recording studios starring many beautiful singing stars, see Perry Botkin Jr.