Shep Shephard
Encyclopedia
Berisford "Shep" Shepherd (Jan 19, 1917 - ) is an American jazz
musician.
Shepherd's parents were from the West Indies. His father took a job working on the Panama Canal
and sent his pregnant wife to Philadelphia; Shep Shepherd was born en route, in Honduras
, and despite his Caribbean background grew up in a largely Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Shepherd had an early interest in music, particularly drumming, and could read sheet music for drums by the age of 14, and began to take on paid gigs. Music was not his sole focus; attending a vocational high school, he trained as a cabinet
maker. As a touring musician, he apparently carried cabinet making tools and a fishing pole in addition to his instruments.
In the 1930s, Shepherd worked in Philadelphia for band leader Jimmy Gorham.
In 1941, Benny Carter
contacted Shepherd after hearing him play, and this resulted in Shepherd working for Carter and eventually moving to New York City
. Shepherd also started working for Artie Shaw
in 1941. Due to musician's union regulations, Shepherd was initially able to acquire occasional jobs as a musician, playing a night here or there, but not allowed to take steady employment. As with many jazz musicians of the era, he made his income from several sources, including working as a music copyist
and working as a session musician for various recordings. As a session musician, he was versatile, playing not only drums, but also vibraphone
and xylophone
, and was desired for his ensemble playing, being skilled at supporting a group without attempting to grab the spotlight. He was in enough demand as a copyist that "Get Shep" become a sort of catchphrase within the microcosm of New York jazz.
Shepherd served four years in the United States Army, composing, arranging, and conducting vocal music as well as playing trombone in Army bands. Soon after his discharge, he was hired by Cab Calloway
to replace a drummer who hadn't shown up. Shepherd worked for Calloway for a year, eventually being replaced because Calloway needed a "show drummer", but Calloway continued to use Shepherd as an arranger.
In 1952, Shepherd began working as part of Bill Doggett
's group, and in 1956, Shepherd helped write Doggett's signature song
, Honky Tonk
.
Leaving Doggett's combo in 1959, Shepherd worked extensively for Broadway musicals and other stage productions as a performer and arranger. During a tour with a production of Miracle on 34th Street
, Shepherd decided to relocate to San Francisco. There, Shepherd found work as the house drummer at Finocchio's for 23 years. Finocchio's was from the 1930s onward a nationally famed hotspot of gay life in San Francisco, featuring a drag show with female impersonators and Vaudeville-styled acts, as well as occasional belly dancing.
Late in his career, Shepherd switched his primary focus from drums to trombone, claiming that it was easier to carry. In 1995, he and Art Harris formed the group "Blue Fuse", with Harris playing Hammond Organ and singing, and Robert Labbe on drums, and they regularly performed in San Francisco through at least 2000 and released at least one CD.
Musicians Shepherd has worked with include Patti Page
, Lionel Hampton
, Lena Horne
, The Ward Singers
, Earl Bostic
, Buck Clayton
, and Odetta
. He has also appeared in several television commercials.
Shep Shepherd is listed in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz and Who’s Who Among Black Americans. He's related to activist John Francis
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician.
Shepherd's parents were from the West Indies. His father took a job working on the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and sent his pregnant wife to Philadelphia; Shep Shepherd was born en route, in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, and despite his Caribbean background grew up in a largely Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Shepherd had an early interest in music, particularly drumming, and could read sheet music for drums by the age of 14, and began to take on paid gigs. Music was not his sole focus; attending a vocational high school, he trained as a cabinet
Cabinet (furniture)
A cabinet is usually a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors or drawers for storing miscellaneous items. Some cabinets stand alone while others are built into a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood or, now increasingly, of synthetic...
maker. As a touring musician, he apparently carried cabinet making tools and a fishing pole in addition to his instruments.
In the 1930s, Shepherd worked in Philadelphia for band leader Jimmy Gorham.
In 1941, Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
contacted Shepherd after hearing him play, and this resulted in Shepherd working for Carter and eventually moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Shepherd also started working for Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
in 1941. Due to musician's union regulations, Shepherd was initially able to acquire occasional jobs as a musician, playing a night here or there, but not allowed to take steady employment. As with many jazz musicians of the era, he made his income from several sources, including working as a music copyist
Copyist
A copyist is a person who makes written copies. In ancient times, a scrivener was also called a calligraphus . The term's modern use is almost entirely confined to music copyists, who are employed by the music industry to produce neat copies from a composer or arranger's manuscript.-Music...
and working as a session musician for various recordings. As a session musician, he was versatile, playing not only drums, but also vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
and xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, and was desired for his ensemble playing, being skilled at supporting a group without attempting to grab the spotlight. He was in enough demand as a copyist that "Get Shep" become a sort of catchphrase within the microcosm of New York jazz.
Shepherd served four years in the United States Army, composing, arranging, and conducting vocal music as well as playing trombone in Army bands. Soon after his discharge, he was hired by Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
to replace a drummer who hadn't shown up. Shepherd worked for Calloway for a year, eventually being replaced because Calloway needed a "show drummer", but Calloway continued to use Shepherd as an arranger.
In 1952, Shepherd began working as part of Bill Doggett
Bill Doggett
Bill Doggett was an American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist. He is best known for his tracks, "Honky Tonk" and "Hippy Dippy", and variously working with The Ink Spots, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Jordan.-Biography:William Ballard Doggett was born in...
's group, and in 1956, Shepherd helped write Doggett's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
, Honky Tonk
Honky Tonk (song)
Honky Tonk is an instrumental written by Billy Butler, Bill Doggett, Clifford Scott and Shep Shepherd. In 1956, Doggett released it on a two-part single. On the Billboard pop charts, it peaked at number two for three weeks....
.
Leaving Doggett's combo in 1959, Shepherd worked extensively for Broadway musicals and other stage productions as a performer and arranger. During a tour with a production of Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...
, Shepherd decided to relocate to San Francisco. There, Shepherd found work as the house drummer at Finocchio's for 23 years. Finocchio's was from the 1930s onward a nationally famed hotspot of gay life in San Francisco, featuring a drag show with female impersonators and Vaudeville-styled acts, as well as occasional belly dancing.
Late in his career, Shepherd switched his primary focus from drums to trombone, claiming that it was easier to carry. In 1995, he and Art Harris formed the group "Blue Fuse", with Harris playing Hammond Organ and singing, and Robert Labbe on drums, and they regularly performed in San Francisco through at least 2000 and released at least one CD.
Musicians Shepherd has worked with include Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
, The Ward Singers
Clara Ward
Clara Ward was an American gospel artist who achieved great success, both artistic and commercial, in the 1940s and 1950s as leader of The Famous Ward Singers....
, Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic was an American jazz and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist, and a pioneer of the post-war American Rhythm and Blues style. He had a number of popular hits such as "Flamingo", "Harlem Nocturne", "Temptation", "Sleep", "Special Delivery Stomp", and "Where or When", which showed off his...
, Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong...
, and Odetta
Odetta
Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals...
. He has also appeared in several television commercials.
Shep Shepherd is listed in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz and Who’s Who Among Black Americans. He's related to activist John Francis
John Francis (environmentalist)
John Francis is an American environmentalist nicknamed the planetwalker. Born in Philadelphia, the son of a West Indian immigrant, he moved to Marin County, California as a young man. After witnessing the devastation caused by a 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, he stopped riding in motorized...