By David "Chet" Williamson Sneade
Harry Sheppard tells this great
little story about how his brother Harvey used to wake him up in the middle of
the night and carry him into downtown Worcester
Harvey is Harry’s
older brother. He’s 88. The kid’s just celebrated his
80th on April 1st -- No foolin’. Back in the late ’30s, early ’40s, Harvey
“Quick
story,” Harry says, speaking by phone from his home in Houston Main St.
“My
brother would come home and get me out of bed and in my jammies, he would take
me down to the studio. I would sit and listen to these guys play. I was a
little kid. My folks never knew that he took me out of bed. I enjoyed it so
much.”
The wily
veterans have an intercom phone and Harvey
The
Sheppards were born in Worcester Harvey
While Harry
is better known, having played with among others, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and Coleman Hawkins, Harvey Europe as well as New England , Florida Texas Las Vegas
Harry
says he grew up in Worcester Leominster Leicester . “My first grade of school was in
Leominster Worcester Chandler Street School Leicester .”
While in Worcester Dale Street Jacques Ave. 23 Dale Street Harvey
Harry recalls
that there was music, “all over the street,” he says. “Don Fagerquist lived right
across the street from us. We used to hear him practicing. We also had music in
the family a very famous music publisher, Robbins Music
Corporation. Jack Robbins was my mother’s brother.”
By the
time Harry was of age, he too cut out of town, by joining the Navy. Before
leaving however, both Sheppards were very active in town playing with many of
the notable musicians of the day. “I was mostly playing commercial around Worcester Harvey
“I worked
with Dol Brissette -- ‘swing and sweat with Dol Brissette.’
I did a few things with Dol. I did the home show at the Auditorium. I worked at
the Moors on Rte. 9 with Emil Haddad.
He was a terrific jazz player.”
The
brothers might be octogenarian percussionists, but neither one of them has
missed a beat in the way of memory. “In those years I worked all the clubs,” Harvey Lido on Pearl Street
“I was
still a drummer then and Cosmo says, ‘Why don’t you get vibes?’ I said, ‘I don’t
want vibes.’ He said, ‘If you don’t get vibes, I’m going to get a drummer that’s
got them.’”
After
high school, Harvey Boston
From
there, he spent a memorable summer in playing at the Cape . “I got a summer gig in West Falmouth at the Barclay Club,” he says. “I
was there with a bass player Mary Francis Conlon. She went to
Classical. Bernie Cormier on tenor saxophone and Al
Mercury on drums.”
The gig
was not far from Edwards Air Force Base, which eventually led Harvey
Harry says like his older
brother, he too, first played drums. “As a little kid he started me off. I
guess I was around seven. The idea was as we grew up I could be the drummer in
his band. He knew he was going to go for vibes.”
That
never happened. “He went into the service for four years, got married and
left,” Harry says.
“I never did gig with my brother. When he was in the army I was still a kid.
When he came back from the army he went onto bigger and better things. The
years separated us.”
Before
going into the Navy, Harry played in his own backyard of Leicester . “Our music director was a guy by
the name of Ted Hopkins. I was maybe 15. I wasn’t supposed to be in these
places. We played the Hillcrest Country Club.”
When he
got out of the Navy, Harry went to Berklee College of Music. “My second
semester I added a secondary instrument,” he says. “I figured if I pick a horn
I’ll never get a sound in a semester. I could fiddle around with vibes, because
they were always around the house. By my third lesson I said, ‘This is it! This
is what I want to do.’ I practiced five hours a day for a year and a half and
that was the end of the drums.”
 |
| Harry on vibes and Betty on bass |
His first
gigs on vibes were with Perry Conte. “Perry would say, ‘Bring them along.
Play them at the end of a tune, a chord, something.’ They were very
instrumental in inspiring me to learn,” Harry says. “Perry would book us with
different bands. On a Saturday night he would have a bunch of bands. There was
a lot of work. Sometimes he’d send me out with his brother Al Lopez,
[Loconto]. If it wasn’t for that whole family I don’t know if I would have had
the courage to do what I do. They really pushed me into it.”
 |
| Johnny Rines |
Accordionist Johnny
Mason and guitarist Johnny Rines were
two musicians in particular that made an impression on Harry. “There were a lot
of good accordion players around Worcester
He begins
his thoughts on Rines by saying, “He was such a sweet guy. He could have worked
with anybody in the country. He just wanted to do his thing. He was working
with Emil Haddad. When I left and started to do stuff in New York Worcester Worcester New
York
“Johnny
Rines was one of the great jazz players. He could have played with anybody in
the world. He was totally unsung. Nobody knew about him except in Worcester
 |
| Betty and Harry |
Before
heading off to New York New York Atlanta
 |
| Harry in the shades and Betty |
Harry was
active in New York Paris South
America
with Benny Goodman. Harry has
an extensive discography to
his credit including more than a half dozen as a leader. He has also recorded with among others Chubby Jackson, Lester Young, Coleman
Hawkins, and Ruby Braff.
 |
| Harry's publicity shot |
These days Harry and Harvey are back together again like their early days on
 |
| Harvey's early pub shot |
Just before hanging up, the Sheppard brothers are asked if they know Moe Kaufman.
Harvey
Note: This is a work in
progress. Comments, corrections, and suggestions are always welcome at: walnutharmonicas@gmail.com. Also see: www.worcestersongs.blogspot.com Thank you.
This piece was originally written and published in 2008.
Here's a clip of Harry with Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DmtPvFa_W8
Resources
Great story, Chet! Thanks. And great photos too.
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