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TUESDAY | February 11, 2020 | 7:30PM | Charlie Shoemaker | No Cover – Call for Reservations

Charlie Shoemaker, vibraphone with Mitch Holder, guitar, Jeff Falkner, bass and Boyd Cannon, drums.  A Night of Jazz Music Live at Bogies February 11, 2020 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

In the early 1960s, Charlie Shoemake was busy doing studio work playing the vibraphone, other mallet instruments and percussion for composers such as Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin. This continued until the end of 1966 when one evening he went to hear the George Shearing Quintet at Shelley's Manne Hole. The quintet's drummer at that time, Colin Bailey, informed him that the vibraphone player with the group was leaving and that George was in great need of a replacement for a 5 week tour of the Midwest that was about to commence. After a day of reflection, Charlie decided to take the job, not realizing at the time that the 5 week tour would turn into almost 7 years with the group. During this period (1966-1973) the groups personnel would include guitarists Joe Pass, Pat Martino, and Ron Anthony; bassist Andy Simpkins; drummers Harvey Mason, Stix Hooper, Vernel Fournier and others.

At the beginning of 1973 Charlie felt the need for a change. He wanted to be home with his wife, Sandi and their son Tal and leave the touring life of a jazz musician.  He decided to open a jazz improvisation school in Los Angeles which he always felt could be successful. He was right. The school (of which Charlie was the sole instructor) flourished and by 1990 there had been over 1500 people come to Charlie for guidance in jazz music. Many of these students have gone on to highly successful careers. Saxophonists Ted Nash and Tim Armacost; Trombonist Andy Martin; Trumpeter Kye Palmer, Pianists Cecilia Coleman and Keith Saunders, to name but a few. Even smooth jazz artists such as David Koz and Richard Elliot credit Charlie's teachings as an important early influence.

In the spring of 1990 Charlie closed his teaching studio and left Los Angeles to move 225 miles north to the beautiful little ocean village of Cambria. Charlie used Cambria as a home base while he and Sandi performed in various venues. Soon the occasional concert grew to be an ongoing successful series at the Hamlet lasting for over 20 years (500 concerts) until the Hamlet was sold and closed in 2012.

As a result, in 2012, Charlie returned to teaching, forming The Central Coast Jazz Institute. In the spring of 2015, four of Charlie's first students from the institute were named the best community college jazz combo in America by Downbeat magazine.