John M Shifflett (March 22, 1953 – April 27, 2017) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musician, player of the

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

and also an arranger, composer, and educator, with his last teaching job at

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sys ...

. Shifflett was born in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...

, attended High-School at Dubuque where he played trombone and began playing bass (see a
Sing Out Dubuque, John Shifflett playing his own composition on bass, January 8th 1971
, and graduated in 1976 with a BS degree from Iowa State University. While at the University of Iowa, where he was working on a master's degree, Shifflett was its big band and its jazz combo bass player, appearing at festivals such as the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festivals in April 1979 and in March 1980. Shifflett moved to San Jose in 1987, as his wife Bethany was offered a tenure-track position at San Jose State University. Shifflett played in several notable acts, including

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, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the

American Musical Theatre of San Jose The American Musical Theatre of San Jose (AMTSJ), previously known as the San Jose Civic Light Opera (SJCLO), was a major professional nonprofit musical theatre company in San Jose, California. Founded in 1934 as the San Jose Light Opera Associatio ...

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Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

and the

Smothers Brothers The Smothers Brothers are Thomas ("Tom" – born February 2, 1937) and Richard ("Dick" – born November 20, 1938), American folk singers, musicians, and comedians. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic gu ...

Discography

With
Anton Schwartz Anton Schwartz (born July 16, 1967) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer based in Seattle, Washington and Oakland, California. Biography Anton Schwartz was born and raised in New York City, the son of Tony Schwartz, the audio documenta ...

*2014:

Flash Mob A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via t ...

(

Double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

) *2008:

Radiant Blue ''Radiant Blue'' is the fourth album by jazz saxophonist and composer Anton Schwartz, released in 2006. It garnered a cover story in ''JazzWeek'' Magazine, a feature article in the San Francisco Chronicle, received strong reviews and hit num ...

(

) *2000: The Slow Lane (

) *1998: When Music Calls (

)

With Audrey Martin

*2014: Living Room (

)

With Gabriela Mendes

*2012: Um Renovo Musical (

)

With Jim Norton Collective

*2013: TIME REMEMBERED: COMPOSITIONS OF BILL EVANS (

)

With
John Stowell John F. Stowell (born July 30, 1950) is an American jazz guitarist, composer, author, and lecturer. Biography Stowell, who plays electric and acoustic guitar, was born in New York and raised in Connecticut. He had private studies with Linc ...
/
Michael Zilber Michael Zilber is a Canadian composer and musician. Zilber was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts in his late teens and to New York City in his early twenties. He has performed and/or recorde ...

*2015: Basement Blues (

) *2012: Live Beauty (

) *2009: SHOT THROUGH WITH BEAUTY (

)

With Christian Tamburr

* 2011: Places (Double Bass)

With Juliet Green

*2014: Think About That (

) *2003: Simple (

)

With Larry Dunlap

*2002: Fly With My Love (

)

With Kristen Strom

*2012: Sojourn (

) *2005: Intention (

)

With Aaron Lington Quintet

*2005: Cape Breton (

)

With
Laurie Antonioli Laurie Antonioli (born March 9, 1958) is an American jazz singer and record producer. Early life and education Antonioli was born in Marin County. California. At the age of sixteen she began playing guitar and performing primarily her own original ...

*2010: American Dreams (

Double Bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

) *2013: SONGS OF SHADOW, SONGS OF LIGHT (

)

With
Michael Zilber Michael Zilber is a Canadian composer and musician. Zilber was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts in his late teens and to New York City in his early twenties. He has performed and/or recorde ...

*2010: BILLY COLLINS PROJECT: ELEVEN ON TURNING TEN (

)

With
Michael Zilber Michael Zilber is a Canadian composer and musician. Zilber was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts in his late teens and to New York City in his early twenties. He has performed and/or recorde ...
and
Dave Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received a N ...

*2003: Live At The Jazzschool (

)

With NLS Trio

*1999: NLS Trio (

)

With Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington

* 2010: BICOASTAL COLLECTIVE: CHAPTER TWO (

) * 2009: BICOASTAL COLLECTIVE: CHAPTER ONE (

)

With Patrick Cress' Telepathy

*2005: Meditation, Realization (

)

With Sandra Marlowe

* 2016: A Sweet Wind (

) * 2012: True Blue (

)

With Scott Sorkin

With Thomas G. Leslie/ UNLV Wind Orchestra

*2013: Lost Vegas (

)

References

External links

John Shifflett OA2 records website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shifflett, John 1953 births 2017 deaths People from Dubuque, Iowa American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Musicians from Iowa University of Iowa alumni Deaths from pancreatic cancer Deaths from cancer in California American male jazz musicians