Jack Sheldon...Oh Yes!
June 25, 2008 2:07 PM   Subscribe

Trying To Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon Who is Jack Sheldon? You may remember him as Merv Griffin's comedic trumpet-wielding sidekick, or the indelible voice on School House Rock (etc.), but musicians know him as a jazz giant. Unlike his close friend and collaborator, Chet Baker, Jack Sheldon survived the demons of drugs, alcohol and unspeakable personal tragedy...
A documentary film by Penny Peyser and Doug McIntyre. (multiple YT clips in description; official site contains Flash audio)
posted by LinusMines (6 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was hoping the whole movie would be streaming or something solely because I really do want to see this, I've been hearing about it for months and it's not playing anywhere near me. I've seen Jack play many times and I've never really heard a bad word about him. He's an institution in LA jazz. Rarely is there a moment where he's not found playing *somewhere*, whether tiny no-cover clubs like Jax or Charlie O's or big events. Even after having cancer (I forgot what type but I seem to recall he had it a few years ago), he was right back on stage before you could blink. The day he stops playing the horn is going to be a sad, quiet, weird day.
posted by miss lynnster at 2:54 PM on June 25, 2008


BTW, anyone who thinks they don't know how who Jack Sheldon is... if you ever listened to Schoolhouse Rock, you have heard him many times.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:00 PM on June 25, 2008


Ooops. Missed that those were linked above. Sorry. Durrr.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:01 PM on June 25, 2008


Uhm, yeah, Miss L. Linus already mentioned that.
posted by ten pounds of inedita at 3:01 PM on June 25, 2008


He was also Louie the Lightning Bug!
posted by jbickers at 4:05 PM on June 25, 2008


Yeah, his vocals on those School House Rocks songs are just fabulous! Radiant with humor and joie de vivre. He sounds like someone you'd like a lot. And thanks for the Louie Lightning Bug link, jbickers.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:46 PM on June 25, 2008


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