Bob Shoffner

A fantastic trumpeter who was simply in amazing form on 4 recorded game titles with Luis Russell in 1926, Bob Shoffner had an extended profession but was usually relatively obscure. He was raised in St. Louis, began playing drums when he was nine, used the bugle and turned to trumpet in 1911. After 2 yrs in the Military (1917-1919), part which he spent playing trumpet inside a armed service band, Shoffner caused Charlie Creath and toured the Midwest with Tommy Parker. In 1921 he relocated to Chicago where he used John H. Wickcliffe, Everett Robbins’ Jazz Screamers, and Mae Brady. After a stint back St. Louis with Creath, Shoffner is at Chicago dealing with Honore Dutrey’s group and in June 1924 getting Louis Armstrong’s 1st replacement with Ruler Oliver’s Creole Jazz Music group. Other than short stints with Dave Peyton and Lottie Hightower’s Nighthawks, Shoffner was with Oliver until Feb 1927. After dealing with lip issues that knocked him out of actions for a couple of months, Shoffner used Charles Elgar (1928), Erskine Tate, Jerome Carrington, McKinney’s Natural cotton Pickers (1931), Tate once again, and Frankie Jaxon (1932). In 1934 he relocated to NY and had brief stints with Fess Williams and Fletcher Henderson. After using Hot Lip area Page’s music group in 1938, Shoffner ultimately moved back again to Chicago, dealing with regional groups before obtaining a day time job using the Condition of Illinois. Following the middle-’40s (including a documenting program with Richard M. Jones), Shoffner retired from music until 1957 when he joined up with Franz Jackson’s First Jazz All-Stars, gigging with Jackson until 1963 when erratic wellness forced him to become part-time participant. Shoffner documented in the ’20’s with Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders, Jimmy O’Bryant, Ida Cox, and Russell, amongst others, trim two music for Mercury in 1945 (obscure choices in which he’s joined up with by vocalist Earl Jones) and documented several albums with Franz Jackson in the first ’60s.