Bobby Shew (born March 4, 1941) is an American jazz

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

and

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...

player.

Biography

He was born in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, United States. After leaving college in 1960, Shew was drafted into the U.S. Army and played trumpet and toured with the

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...

joint forces band stationed in

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

. After leaving the Army, Shew joined

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

's band and then played with the

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

and then the

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York ...

big bands in the mid-to-late 1960s. He was a trumpeter in Tom Jones's band while in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, and is featured on his 1971 live album ''Live at Caesar's Palace''. In 1972, Shew moved from Las Vegas to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, where he did much studio work as well as play with some of the top big bands of the era through the end of the 1970s: Akiyoshi/Tabackin,

Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

, Maynard Ferguson, and others. In addition to playing on several notable big band recordings starting in the 1960s, Shew recorded several albums as leader, starting with ''Debut'' in 1978. Shew has mentored jazz musicians in New Mexico, and has led the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra. He has taught a two-week workshop for high school students at the Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. Shew also performs and teaches worldwide, including a two-week residency at the Graz University of Music in Austria in 2017. He has taught at leading European music schools in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and also in Canada.

Discography

As leader

*''Debut'' (Disco Mate) 1978 *''Outstanding In His Field'' (

Inner City The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

) 1979 *''Class Reunion'' (Sutra) 1980 *''Play Song'' (Jazz Hounds) 1981 *''Telepathy'' (Jazz Hounds) 1982 *''Shewhorn'' ( Pausa) 1983 *''Trumpets No End'' (Delos) 1983 – with Chuck Findley *''Round Midnight'' (MoPro) 1984 *''Breakfast Wine'' (Pausa) 1985 *''Aim For The Heart'' (Gateway) 1987 – with the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra *''Metropole Orchestra'' (Mons) 1988 *''Tribute to the Masters'' (

Double-Time Records Double-Time Records (a.k.a. Double-Time Jazz) is a jazz record company and label founded by Jamey D. Aebersold in New Albany, Indiana in 1995. Its catalogue includes albums by John Abercrombie, Bruce Barth, Jerry Bergonzi, Conrad Herwig, Andy La ...

) 1995 *''Heavyweights'' (MAMA) 1996 – with

Carl Fontana Carl Charles Fontana (July 18, 1928 – October 9, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist. After working in the big bands of Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, and Stan Kenton, he devoted most of his career to playing music in Las Vegas. Career Font ...

*''Playing With Fire'' (MAMA) 1997 *''Salsa Caliente'' (MAMA) 1998 *''The Music of John Harmon'' (Sea Breeze) 2001 *''Play Music of Reed Kottler'' (Torii) 2002 – with Gary Foster "and friends" *''Live in Switzerland'' (TCB) 2003 – Bobby Shew / George Robert Quintet *''I Can't Say No'' (Four Leaf Clover) 2003 *''One in a Million'' (Sea Breeze) 2004 – recorded 1990 with The Groovin' High Big Band / Peter Fleischhauer *''Cancaos Do Amor'' (Torii) 2007 *''LIVE 1983'' ( UF School of Music) 2015 -Recorded 1983 with University of Florida Jazz Band -Director Gary Langford

As sideman

With

* ''

The Louis Bellson Explosion ''The Louis Bellson Explosion'' is an album by drummer Louis Bellson recorded in 1975 and released by the Pablo label.

'' (Pablo, 1975) With

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

*''

Can't Hide Love "You Can't Hide Love" is a single by soul group Creative Source released in 1973 on Sussex Records. The song reached No. 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Singles chart. Overview "You Can't Hide Love" was produced by Michael Stokes and composed b ...

'' (Blue Note, 1976) With Rodger Fox Big Band *''Heavy Company'' (Circular, 1981) With

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...

*'' State Street Sweet'' (MAMA, 1995)

Honors

*''Outstanding in His Field'' - Grammy nomination (1980)

References

External links

Official website
*Bobby Shew a
allaboutjazz.com
*Bobby Shew at

allmusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

br>Bobby Shew equipment and discographyBobby Shew Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2005) {{DEFAULTSORT:Shew, Bobby 1941 births Living people American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American jazz horn players Musicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico Pausa Records artists Inner City Records artists United States Army Band musicians 21st-century trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Double-Time Records artists