[1] He was born in Yangon, Burma, where he began playing guitar from the late 1930s and where he grew up with Ike Isaacs.
[2][3] He left Burma in 1942 following the Japanese invasion, moving to India, where he performed as a guitarist, and as a member of Teddy Weatherford's band on guitar and later trombone at the Grand Hotel, Calcutta.
[4] In 1947 West arrived in England, where he formed his own bands and took part in mainstream sessions with Kenny Baker, Bertie King, Bruce Turner, Al Fairweather and pianist Eddie Thompson.
[6] In the 1960s he formed the Cedric West Guitar Ensemble, whose other members were guitarists Laurie Wise, Dick Abel and Len Argent, bassist Ken O'Donnell and drummer Ronnie Lord.
[8] There is a video of him playing a duo version of Indian Summer with Joe Pass at his home in Essex.