Jack Sheldon Interview by Monk Rowe - 2/15/1999 - Los Angeles, CA 

What a character he was. Funny as hell, could sing, and a wonderful musician. Always liked to see him in Merv's trumpet section on TV. One of a kind.

Aww man just hearing him speak give me chills 😔 his voice is so iconic and schoolhouse rock was everything to me as a child. Rest in paradise Jack Sheldon 💙🙏🏾

Monk is a very fine interviewer. Jack: RIP. One of the last of the last...there aren't many greats of this vintage left.

RIP Mr Sheldon , a big part of my Saturday mornings growing up

On 1999-08-06, Jack Sheldon and his band appeared on the Phil Hendrie Show at KFI in Los Angeles to "play the hits drunk" on the radio. I have a copy of the mp3 but it's not the greatest quality. It's pretty funny to listen to though. Jack was cracking jokes through the whole show. During a break between songs, Jack said, "Sex and drugs killed my father. He couldn't get either of them so he shot himself." Maybe I'll put it up here on youtube.

VERY SAD NEWS.....My Friend The Great Jazz Trumpeter Former Music Director For The "Merv Griffin Show"...…Actor & Singer, Comedian...….Jack Sheldon Passed Away on December 27 2019.....He Was 88 Years Old.....Rest In Peace Jack.... November 30 1931-December 27 2019

By accident (and Google) I just discovered that Jack Sheldon died last December (six days after my own father). It didn't surprise me because I heard about his major stroke about ten years ago. In 1988 I heard one of his sets at the Smokehouse in Burbank, California, and asked him outside the front door "Jack, I think you're one of the most recorded jazz trumpeters in the history of recording in Hollywood. Do you remember everything you've recorded?" His answer was something like "Heck no, after I got paid I didn't keep records of anything." My favorite, a talisman, are Jack's cuts on the 1982 soundtrack of the Francis Ford Coppola movie "One From The Heart." I can identify Jack's sound immediately, and think it's one of the best in music history. The documentary of his life, "Trying To Get Good" is also supurb. His passing didn't make the L.A. Times obits, probably because he was a cat from the past who mastered the tiny sliver of music called jazz, but Jack Sheldon was a giant who left footprints in the sand.

Don't forget, he was the voice that many of us grew to love growing up in the 70s and 80s as one of the many singers/songwriters of Schoolhouse Rock! Conjunction Junction, whats your function?

You can't not love this guy! Small ego, large talent, and a fun and uplifting person. Wish there were more people like him. You'll be missed Jack, rest in peace.

I always liked Jack from "The Merve Griffin " show. I'll always remember him best for his featured Trumpet Solo in the Soundtrack Academy Award Performance in "The Shadow of Your Smile" from "The Sandpiper" . To me, the most beautiful Soundtrack score written.

Jack played “ Bourbon Street” in Toronto, 1975 or so when I was a teen. He graciously allowed me to bore him at the bar between sets . Since that time, having played with alumni from many of his historical record, few were as charming and forthright, humble and fine a musician as he. Great interview!

He's funny as hell and I am lucky enough to have a good story with him in it!!

So sad to hear Mr Sheldon passed away last week. THANKS for sharing this wonderful interview with us ! The late great Mr Sheldon was an incredibly gifted talent ! Fondly remember his comedic acting in so many shows (Run Buddy Run, Dragnet, The Merv Griffin Show, etc) and what an amazing trumpet player he was ! May he rest in eternal bliss ! CHEERS !! :-)

Jack was a guru of Jazz...Very grounded. He was a down to earth but inspired. He was very magnetic, yet humble, and alway the brightest light in any room. I am so grateful to see this amazing conversation of Jazz History caught on tape. This brings back memories of the iconic "Dantes Jazz Club" in North Hollywood in the '70s. It was a thrill to perform my" Derailed song" with Jack at Danted. The horn section was blowing the roof off. Dave Frishberg also did a great version of that song. . .Blessings on Jack's new band in the Sky. XO

Jack Sheldon was a delight, whether appearing on the Merv Griffin Show or "Run Buddy Run" or playing his trumpet and dropping those deadpan jokes. What a treasure to have this interview!

Sorely overlooked by the general public. The best there ever was. I wanna come back as Jack, LOVED him. RIP

There will never be another Jack Sheldon! will miss him terribly....he mentions "Lucho Gatica"as a great singer from Brazil, Lucho actually was from Chile, spent most of his life in Mexico...super Bolero singer...Jack was an amazing original guy, left us so much exciting music, and thanks for RU-vid, we can preserve and reach so many wonderful performances!

Such a superlative musician, & he made it all look so easy! And w/ such a great sense of humor. And happy to shake ur hand, too! There'll never be another Jack Sheldon, such a unique musical personality! Still hard to believe he's gone. To think of him in the past tense is so strange. RIP.

Man I thoroughly enjoyed this interview! Jack was such a class act and a brilliant player/composer/singer as well! Monk this channel is such a treasure, you have the greatest archive of Jazz interviews on the net and possibly in the world! Please by all means keep these coming!!! Thank you so much for all you have done to support and raise awareness for this music! You're the best man!!!

RIP Mr Sheldon..I grew up hearing your voice and loved it...very unique

love me some jack sheldon. "ENERGYYYYYYY!"

R.i.p. Jack. Loved his beautiful sound and musicianship...my mom got his autograph for me at his annual new years eve bash in los angeles several years ago. I'll cherish that next to his album tribute to ray charles which i bought in 62' when i was seventeen. So underated. Great interview. We'll miss you Jack.

"Drove Basie from San Francisco to his houseboat. Got him a girl,..... listened to Brazilian Lucho Garticas' music." Who can say they did that?

I was sorry to read of Jack's passing in the NY Times. I regret not seeing Jack In L.A. doing his club act in 1993 when I was attending law school. I had admired him from Merv and the Chet Baker movie.

If you can see “Trying to Get Good”? His whole life story. What a guy!

61 minutes of PURE GOLD. What a talent Sheldon is... and the sheer volume of people he's played with. Hilarious as well. I could just imagine the stress Stan Kenton was feeling when Jack had the floor, not knowing what may come next. I think Monk Rowe got a little taste of that as well! 😂

Rest in peace, Jack Sheldon, we'll never forget you, or that amazing voice of yours.

Love Jack! His rendition of “Mack the Knife” is the BEST ever, IMHO. I just spoke to a friend of his today who said he’s had a couple strokes in recent years, but he’s hanging in there and still playing. God bless you, Jack!

Thank you so much for this interview! Fantastic.

Uan Rasey - there’s another legendary trumpet player mostly know as a studio guy. And a teacher of Jack as well as Arturo Sandoval - just imagine that! Those guys still took lessons? And then Harry James calls for a lesson? Always room for improvement at any level. Uan is probably best known for the solo trumpet on Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith) but also did An American in Paris, Singin’ in the Rain, Ben Hur, Spartacus, West Side Story, and on and on. He took his trumpet up into the clouds in 2011 at the age of 90.

Another Great Interview!

Despite what Jack's teacher said, I absolutely love how he would "slide up" to some notes. I never heard anyone quite do it the same way.

Loved hearing a little bit of his trumpet playing at the end. great interview.

Spent many months hearing Jack and Ross Tompkins at the Money Tree piano Bar in the San Fernando Valley during their long gig back in the day. Enjoyed it all as he was not only a great trumpet player but a unique comedian and singer and a great person. His big band with arrangement to Internet but by Tom Kubis was also something to hear. Several CDs. Hear him at his best. One with a track with Merv Griffen. Best memory for me with Jack was the only

Jack was a member of the original Curtis Counce Quintet, which was the W. Coast's answer to the world-renowned Miles Davis' Quintet with Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and Philly Joe. Listening to those albums (on Contemporary) I feel I'm hearing America's indigenous art form at its quintessential, representative best--music fit for the time capsule. Leader Counce was one of the W. Coast's most in-demand bass players; tenor man Harold Land had just abandoned his place in the Clifford-Max Quintet to Rollins and was named the best modern instrumentalist in jazz by Carmel Jones and Victor Feldman; piano man Carl Perkins was the heart and soul of the group, his death leading Counce to break up the quintet--a pianist who combined the modernism of Bud with the orchestral voicing of Errol; Frank Butler was an amazing drummer, who lost out (barely) to Tony Williams in making the chair for Miles' 2nd Great Quintet--listen to Butler's solo, last track Side 1 of the eponymously-titled album by Counce. Beginning with "Landslide" that first album represents the best of modern jazz, thanks in part to the microphones and mixing of Roy DuNann (a truer, more natural sound than RVG and the Rudy Van Gelder piano, at Blue Note). As for Jack, the worst influence on him was Harry James, who played with that big, shattering sound he had used in circus bands. Jack's original, immediately identifiable voice can be heard in the Counce albums.

What a guy! RIP Jack...

Caught him at Shelley's Manne Hole in the 60's and will forever play his music on The Sandpiper soundtrack...

Such a talented guy. I Ioved the characters he played on Dragnet

Monk asks about the time John and Yoko were on the show. I wonder if he was thinking of the Mike Douglas Show. They co-hosted for an entire week. Fun interview though - what a fun guy. I always enjoyed Jack Sheldon. RIP

Rest in peace.... So many great childhood memories of school house rock....

Must have hung out at the Trident and the Alta Mira in Sausalito. Jazz , and Beat mecca.. Many artists lived on the houseboats.

Great interview. Source of knowledge

Wonderful to know he's still alive 😍😍😍 his songs helped me in elementary school and I'm 54!!! I had a tough time due to dyslexia and if song School House Rock in my head to sort the problems out.

History!!!

Monk...just a great job with one of my musical heroes, easy and funny!

A life well lived!

Circle Star theater in the round San Carlos Ca.

His voice is an instrument!

R.I.P Jack Sheldon (1931 - 2019) He will always be just a bill.....

RIP Jack

He was in quite a few color Dragnet episodes.

Jack Of All Trades. Rest in Peace. 🎺

Mentioned at 23:17, here is his entrance on that sitcom at the 4:10 mark. Hard not to spot Jack. Vintage for sure. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QGaXcN02qUY.html

Historia de un Amour with Art Pepper and Jack on vocals - check it out! Beautiful.

jack sheldon play voice of the sensitive male on Johnny bravo

what a name dropper! Had a job first year he got a trumpet? PRODIGY!

All this time I thought he was black.

35:23 - what name is he saying here? Anyone know? Lucio who? Please spell it.

Benny Goodman and Lenny Bruce haha

What No School House Rock?!

Anyone catch the name of that Brazilian musician he name dropped?

An amendment to be

Conjunction Junction, whats your function?

I'm just a bill

Look out for the one Leggett woman, she's hot 🔥