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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSHELDON, Jack(b 30 November 1931, Jacksonville FL; d 27 December 2019) Trumpet mainstay in West Coast jazz, performing and recording with Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan, Curtis Counce, Jimmy Giuffre, Shelly Manne, Herbie Mann, Frank Morgan, Anita O'Day and André Previn, and making nine albums of his own on Jazz West, Mode, Reprise, GNP, Capitol and Dot, all in the 1950s-60s. Later in life he was allegedly asked why he still practiced every day, and replied that he thought he was finally getting good at it. He was also a singer, an actor and a dead-pan stand-up comic. As a vocalist he was best known for many appearances on the excellent kiddie educational show Schoolhouse Rock!, work that he often revisited. He acted on TV, co-starred in a sitcom '64-5 The Cara Williams Show '64-5, and had his own sitcom '66-7, Run, Buddy, Run, in which he was on the run from mobsters. For many years he appeared on the Merv Griffin talk show as a Griffin sidekick. He played trumpet in many film soundtracks as well as acting. There are full lists of all these activities on Wikipedia. Returning to music full time, Sheldon made at least 14 more albums of his own from 1980 onwards. Playing For Change on Uptown '86 was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and included Jerry Dodgion, Barry Harris, Ben Riley and Rufus Reid. He toured the UK '87. Among his last albums were Listen Up! and It's What I Do 2006-7 on the Butterfly label. He was the subject of a prize-winning documentary, Trying to Get Good: the Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon 2008, which included interviews with Griffin, Clint Eastwood, BIlly Crystal, Dave Frishberg, Johnny Mandel and others, as well as concert footage. |