Dick Shearer

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Dick Shearer is most famous as lead trombonist and music director for the Stan Kenton Orchestra, since taking over the lead chair from Jim Trimble (the trombonist not the football coach) in the early 1970s until Stan's death in 1978. He led the band during Stan's illnesses, and produced several of the band's last recordings.

From 1979 - 1982 Dick Shearer was the director of Wayne State University's (Detroit) Jazz Bands.

Reprinted here from the "Kentonia" (Stan Kenton) email list:

The Source Three Kenton Lead Trombonists By Mike Suter

Speaking of Dick Shearer . . . He's sometimes maligned as a caricature of all who preceded him, but that's a very unfair assessment. Yes, it was Dick Shearer who pushed the envelope on the long BOPP! instigated by Kai Winding years before. He also utilized Bob Fitzpatrick's breath attacks in new and different situations (listen to Hank Levy's "Blues Betwixt and Between" for a good example of how he used this device in more up-tempo tunes). And he certainly added to the dynamic balance of the trombone section. He demanded that the other four members of the section play slightly louder than him all the time! Why? Because he knew that the highest note in the chord would always be heard - no matter what. While his fine-tuning of the internal dynamic balance of the trombone section was a major step, Dickus also added the finishing touch - the final ingredient - that completed the Kenton trombone "Sound" we all know and love; and single-handedly changed for all time the way the music of Stan Kenton is played. What was this Herculean task? He played softer. Throughout its history, the Stan Kenton Bands were always known for their raw, naked, overpowering LOUDNESS! Omigod! The trumpet players all had hernias. The drummers played with cut down baseball bats. Everybody was deaf for hours afterward. Well, that's a little exaggerated, but not by much. In truth, the band generally played between mezzo-forte (medium loud) and fortissisisimo (louder than hell). And Dick Shearer ruined it all by playing softer. NOT! Dick expanded the dynamic range of the band by adding the dynamic level pianissimo (extremely soft); first to the trombone section, and then to the band itself. The obvious example is Dee Barton's arrangement of "Rainy Day." When I first heard it played in 1968, the opening trombone soli was played mezzo-piano (medium soft). That was a shock, Kenton playing soft. Call the nut-house. We're sending over 19 new "guests." But as the arrangement continued, gathering itself into a true "Mannheim Steamroller" the fortissimo climax two-thirds of the way through was breathtaking. But Dick hadn't forced the issue yet. The next time I heard it, in 1972, the opening soli was played at a true classical pianissimo (as soft as possible). This time, the fortissimo climax, while no louder than before, emotionally shook me. When I rejoined the band in 1974, the opening soli was performed even softer yet (Forget musical designations. The trombones played it hardly louder than a thought.). It took me over two weeks before I could find a way to play it with the rest of the section. I was sure I was going to be fired because I couldn't play this one song correctly. The fortissimo climax, still no louder than it was eight years earlier, was now perceived by the audience as pure and utter thunder. So there you have it. From enthusiastic, adventurous trombone players this new skinny leader with a vision, through bored uncaring players who just wanted to get through a tour, to Kai Winding, Bob Fitzpatrick, and Dick Shearer. I've left out some minor events, and excellent lead trombone players along the way, but in essence this is how the "Stan Kenton Trombone Sound" came into being.