Dave Eshelman
Encyclopedia
Dave Eshelman a jazz
trombonist, composer
, arranger
, band-leader and music-educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area
. From 1984 to 2007, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, East Bay
(formerly Cal State Hayward). He resides in Fremont, California
with his wife of over 35 years, Robbie.
Eshelman has performed extensively with many jazz groups in the Bay Area and has worked as a featured soloist in the big bands of Ray Brown
, Joe Henderson
, Tito Puente
and Gerald Wilson
. Various artists across the United States and Europe — such as Joe Henderson, Don Ellis
, Bill Watrous
, and Stan Kenton
, the Swedish Radio Orchestra and the Airmen of Note — have performed fis compositions and arrangements.
Many band festivals and honor bands in Northern California
frequently invite him to act as a guest conductor or as an adjudicator. During his tenure at CSU East Bay, Professor Eshelman strengthened the jazz program into one of national renown. In collegiate jazz festivals the CSUEB Jazz Ensemble has won first place honors in about seventy-five percent of the competitions it has entered for over the . In 2003 the university named him Outstanding Professor of the Year, and in 2006 the California Music Educator's Association named him top collegiate music educator in the state for 2007. He was presented with the CMEA/John Swain College/University Educator Award March 15, 2007 at the CMEA State Conference Gala Awards Banquet in Ontario, CA.
Dave leads the Jazz Garden Big Band, an 18-piece jazz band that specializes in contemporary and classic big band
repertoire.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombonist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, band-leader and music-educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. From 1984 to 2007, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
(formerly Cal State Hayward). He resides in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
with his wife of over 35 years, Robbie.
Eshelman has performed extensively with many jazz groups in the Bay Area and has worked as a featured soloist in the big bands of Ray Brown
Ray Brown (musician)
Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
, Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
, Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
and Gerald Wilson
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, 8 time Grammy nominee, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
. Various artists across the United States and Europe — such as Joe Henderson, Don Ellis
Don Ellis
Don Ellis was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of unusual time signatures...
, Bill Watrous
Bill Watrous
William Russell Watrous III is a jazz trombonist. He is perhaps best known by casual fans of jazz music for his rendition of Sammy Nestico's arrangement of the Johnny Mandel ballad "A Time for Love," which he recorded on a 1993 album of the same name...
, and Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
, the Swedish Radio Orchestra and the Airmen of Note — have performed fis compositions and arrangements.
Many band festivals and honor bands in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
frequently invite him to act as a guest conductor or as an adjudicator. During his tenure at CSU East Bay, Professor Eshelman strengthened the jazz program into one of national renown. In collegiate jazz festivals the CSUEB Jazz Ensemble has won first place honors in about seventy-five percent of the competitions it has entered for over the . In 2003 the university named him Outstanding Professor of the Year, and in 2006 the California Music Educator's Association named him top collegiate music educator in the state for 2007. He was presented with the CMEA/John Swain College/University Educator Award March 15, 2007 at the CMEA State Conference Gala Awards Banquet in Ontario, CA.
Dave leads the Jazz Garden Big Band, an 18-piece jazz band that specializes in contemporary and classic big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
repertoire.
External links
- Dave Eshelman's biography from the CSUEB website