Jack Sheldon, a jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader who had a parallel career as an actor in television sitcoms, and whose playing, singing and stand-up comedy were heard for nearly two decades on the Merv Griffin television show, has died. While Sheldon’s career spanned music, television and film, he was the first to credit his jazz trumpet playing as fuel for his far-reaching successes in the entertainment world. In the ‘50s, he was one of the vital participants in the West Coast jazz movement. And he often did so side by side in spontaneous jamming with Baker, his close friend and fellow trumpet player. By the mid ‘50s, after serving in the Air Force, Sheldon actively participated in the burgeoning West Coast jazz scene.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 31, 2019 23:03 UTC