Trumpet Player and Yamaha Clinician Bobby Shew

Trumpet Player Bobby Shew was born and grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At an early age, Bobby began trying to play his step-dads $39.00 Montgomery Ward Trumpet that was stored in the family closet. Bobby would play the trumpet when his parents were away making the sitter promise not to tell. Harry James �James Session� was one of the few jazz albums in Bobby�s mother�s album collection. After a short six month stint on the guitar, Bobby took up the trumpet at the age of ten as he was transferring to Public School from Parochial School. Bobby�s one and only private trumpet instruction was his one session with his step-dad who actually knew very little about playing. Bobby recalls, �He was the perfect teacher as he didn�t know anything. He told me to pretend that I had something on the tip of my tongue and to spit it out. He taught me how to buzz. I followed his instructions but nothing much came out of the horn until he told me to drop my jaw.� Bobby�s step-dad went on to teach him how to finger a C scale and that one session was the extent of Bobby�s trumpet instruction. Within 48 hours of his first beginning band rehearsal, Bobby was seated second chair in the Advanced Band. Within three months, Bobby challenged for first chair and was then seated first chair. Bobby had a natural feel for the trumpet as well as an excellent ear and good musical memory from the beginning. When Bobby was twelve years old he had already began learning to improvise on the trumpet and was making money playing in a local dance band. Bobby practiced his band music from school and began playing trumpet solos such as �Hora Staccato� and �Zigeunerweisen� after hearing Raphael Mendez at an All-State Music Conference. Bobby continued to practice more by ear and listening than by using written parts or method books. By the time Bobby was fourteen, he was a member of the local musician�s union. At fifteen, and still in high school, Bobby had a steady six night per week job from 9p.m. until 1a.m. at The Sunset Inn with a five piece jazz combo. Bobby would get to bed at around 2:30a.m. and get up for school at 7a.m. Bobby would take a nap in the afternoon and do his homework on the gig! While a Senior in high school, Bobby bought himself an Olds Ambassador Comet. His favorite players early on were Don Fagerquist, Chet Baker, Art Farmer (his favorite flugelhorn player), Shorty Rogers, Kenny Dorham and Conte Candoli. Later on, Bobby listened to Donald Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Hardman, Lee Morgan, Blue Mitchell and Clifford Brown.

After high school, Bobby went to the first Stan Kenton Clinic at Indiana University and then spent the rest of that summer after graduation in New York visiting the jazz clubs around the town. In 1960, this schedule essentially repeated itself. Then, in 1961, Bobby received his draft notice. Luckily, Bobby met a friend Ben Jaramillo in the local music store who played tenor in the NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) band that was playing at the Officer�s Club at the Kirkland Air Force Base. Bobby was told that the band would be holding auditions that night for an opening in the trumpet section. Bobby sat in on the last set, sight read a couple of charts and took a couple of solos. After the gig, the Colonel typed up orders essentially guaranteeing Bobby a seat in the band after Bobby finished his basic training. Bobby went ahead and enlisted for three years.

The NORAD Band would come into Radio Recorders Studio in Los Angeles three or four times per year to tape music for Armed Forces Radio Broadcast. While there, Bobby would have a blast visiting Shelley�s Mane-Hole, Calicchio�s or Purviance�s. The NORAD Band played mostly at military bases; however, they also performed at the New York and Seattle World�s Fairs and various park concerts all over the country. It was a good musical experience.

Trumpet Player Bobby Shew left the NORAD Band two and a half months early to take a gig with the Tommy Dorsey Band under the direction of Sam Donahue. Soon after, Bobby received a call from Bill Chase asking him to join Woody Herman and The Thundering Herd. Phil Wilson had recommended Bobby for the job. It was the great 1965 band with Sal Nistico, Don Rader, Chase, Dusko Goykovich and Jake Hanna. Bobby then received an offer to play lead trumpet in a sextet backing Della Reese in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe for a lot more money. Bobby met his wife Lisa who was dancing in one of the shows and they got married. A tour with Benny Goodman was followed by a tour with Maynard Ferguson and then Bobby was back with Della Reese. In early 1966, Bobby got a call from Buddy Rich and joined the Buddy Rich Big Band in the jazz chair. Bobby began to incur some serious chop problems after Buddy moved him into the Lead chair during rehearsals. At the time, Bobby was playing a Benge with a Giardinelli #2 mouthpiece and he just did not know how to play the Lead chair. In September of 1966, as the band recorded �Live At The Chez� � Bobby approached Calicchio and asked them to make him a trumpet that he could play loud lead parts on. Calicchio made one with a extra large bell; however, Bobby soon got a split lip and double hernia requiring an operation and some time off. After an eleven week recovery, Bobby began playing at The Dunes and Vegas shows in other casinos. Bobby recalls, �Playing Vegas is a tough gig. Two one and a half to two hour shows a night; six and sometimes seven nights a week. You play hard and almost continuously. The gig is ALL! It really stunted my growth as a player and stifled my spirit.�

Soon, Bobby was on the road again this time with Robert Goulet who Bobby recalls as a good financially rewarding boss. Back in Vegas after this tour, Bobby got a call from Tom Jones to play lead with his band. The Tom Jones gig paid really well. In 1972, Bobby worked with Paul Anka; however, he was beginning to get fed up with the whole �Vegas routine� and with the Don Adams Show just reached his saturation point. Bobby talked things over with Lisa and gave his notice between shows. In September of 1972, Bobby and Lisa made the move to Los Angeles.

After a couple of weeks of just hanging around, Bobby dropped into Donte�s to catch the Louie Bellson Big Band. Bobby knew the entire trumpet section and when Chuck Findley found out that Bobby was in town and looking for work he said, �what are you doing tomorrow?� Bobby got busy very quickly and within a month was a regular member of the Bellson Big Band. One thing led to another and Bobby even began playing in the various studios. The business got more and more competitive and Bobby continued to practice to be a better player; however, he soon found his inner fire smothering once again.

At this point in his career, Bobby began doing clinics. Because of his wide experience in many areas of the music business, Bobby began to get a lot of calls for clinics and guest appearances with college bands. Bobby enjoyed getting out and playing in front of live audiences. One night in 1982, Bobby heard Sal Nestico at Carmelo�s and was so inspired that he decided to leave the studio scene for good. Bobby began doing more clubs and clinics. Bobby has recorded with The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut; Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band; Louie Bellson; Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. He has worked with Art Pepper; Frank Strazzeri, Frank Rosolino, Sam Most, Dave Pell, Bud Shank and Horace Silver.

Trumpet Player Bobby Shew wants kids to fall in love with music and to support �live� music. Bobby had to learn his trade by trying to solve his own problems and thinking. Bobby as well as his revered student, Roger Ingram, both state that there is no �one way to play� as some would have us believe. Students should learn to work things out for themselves. In private lessons, Bobby basically trouble shoots almost every student coming to him. He addresses their warm up; their air support and compression levels; their aperture control; and selection of a sensible mouthpiece which might (and usually does) include playing on more than one mouthpiece. A most important goal is to encourage and enable each student to become their on trouble-shooter / teacher. Bobby states, �every good trumpet player has become good primarily because of their on efforts to think through the problems that they encounter.� Bobby states that �aperture control� is the most commonly misunderstood fundamental. If the aperture is opened up by dropping the jaw and separating the lips the sound will open up. The trumpet player needs to learn to �calibrate� this opening to fill their needs.

Bobby plays on the Yamaha 8310Z Professional Model Trumpet and the Bobby Shew Yamaha Model Flugelhorn both of which he helped the Yamaha Company design. Bobby also uses trumpet and fluglehorn mouthpieces of his own design made by Marcinkiewicz and Yamaha. Bobby uses and endorses Ultra Pure Valve Oil and Tuning Slide Lub.

Today, in addition to a busy performing and private teaching schedule, Bobby spends a considerable amount of time actively involved in the educational system, conducting clinics and master classes at high schools and colleges all over the world. Bobby has been active on the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild, and has acted as National Trumpet Chairman for the International Association of Jazz Educators for many years.

To contact Bobby Shew ... you can visit Bobby's website at BobbyShew.com

Yamaha YFH-6310Z Bobby Shew Series Bb Flugelhorn Lacquer

Yamaha YTR-8310Z Bobby Shew Signature Model Professional
Bb Lightweight Trumpet Lacquer

Marcinkiewicz Bobby Shew Model Flugelhorn Mouthpiece

Yamaha Bobby Shew Flugelhorn Mouthpiece Silver

Bobby Shew's Discography