Sam First Solo Sessions | Bob Sheppard Trio feat. David Robaire & Christian Euman 09.24.20

A 2020 session from the Sam First Solo Sessions series featuring veteran Los Angeles tenor and soprano saxophonist Bob Sheppard with bassist Dave Robaire and drummer Christian Euman. The program covers a broad selection of jazz repertoire: a Gershwin standard at 221 BPM in F, a Sonny Rollins composition at 208 BPM in F minor, a Gene de Paul standard in F minor at 202 BPM where Sheppard switches to soprano saxophone, a Victor Young piece in C at 136 BPM, a Bill Evans composition taken at a driving 243 BPM in C minor, an Edgar Sampson standard in D-flat at 174 BPM, and a John Coltrane blues at 235 BPM in F. Sheppard, a longtime first-call studio and jazz musician in Los Angeles who has worked with Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, and many others, demonstrates his characteristically rich tone and sophisticated harmonic approach across these varied settings. His 17-chorus solo on the Evans tune and 18-chorus Coltrane blues are particularly expansive. Robaire contributes bass solos on five of the seven pieces, and Euman takes drum features on the de Paul and Evans tunes.