Great talking with Bob. We reminisced about the days when he had hair, of course, but weightier matters soon prevailed. Jazz education seems to be an ongoing subtext on the show, possibly because most players also teach at some level and tend to be thoughtful about the experience. Sheppard is no exception to this and has a lot to say on the subject, but we also touched on his Philly roots, his days teaching and gigging in New York and NOLA and how that led him to Los Angeles and gigs with everyone from Kristin Chenoweth and Horace Silver to Steely Dan and Chick Corea.
I like his recent album Close Your Eyes. Bob himself says he's "under-recorded" as a leader and has plans to make more CDs. Busy as he is with gigs and teaching at USC, I hope this happens. He's a West Coast guy now, but he retains an aggressive East Coast attitude in his playing, maybe the closest thing L.A. has to the late Michael Brecker.
I somehow forgot to get a pic, but I found one online. More info on Bob at www.bobsheppard.net.