John Sheridan, a native of Columbus, Ohio. At the age of seven he began his musical training, studying the piano. His life was forever changed when at the age of eight, his father brought home the recording of Benny Goodman''s 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. He was immediately taken with the piano playing of Jess Stacy and Teddy Wilson, who remain two of his primary influences to this day. Additionally, John began studying the clarinet at age ten and continued through graduation from Columbus Whetstone High School in 1964.

He was first chair in the Whetstone Orchestra and Concert Band, under the direction of Leslie J. Susi. Concurrently, Sheridan began his professional career at age thirteen, with Jimmie Luellen and a few other classmates. The band was called The Novelaires, and John was with the band from 1959-64. Upon graduation from Whetstone in 1964, he enrolled at Capital University in Columbus, graduating in June 1968 with a Bachelor''s degree in applied piano performance. his first professional gig being with Jimmie Luellen’s Novelaires.

He spent four years in the United States Navy Band and then earned his MM degree at the University of North Texas, where he was rehearsal pianist for Casa Manana Summer Musicals, and worked regularly with Tommy Loy’s Upper Dallas Jazz Band. In 1979, Sheridan joined the Jim Cullum Jazz Band in San Antonio, where he was to remain for nearly 24 years.

In 1996, he began recording for Arbors Records, an association that has produced a 3-CD series, John Sheridan and His Dream Band, and Forgotten Dreams, an album of duets with Dick Hyman, among many others.

Review/Jazz; Another Jam for Jelly, but With 2 Pianists
DiggFacebookNewsvinePermalink
Dick Hyman, the artistic director of the 92d Street Y's Jazz in July series, likes to give his concerts narratives. On Tuesday the series opened with "The Other Jelly Roll Morton," which was intended to offer more of the composer's music than is in the Broadway show "Jelly's Last Jam." Like many of his shows, this one took liberties. As a pianist who could easily perform the music alone, he brought out John Sheridan to play duets on the material.

They did it well: Dick has a nice touch, and he can wrap notes up in a soft sound or make them clear and hard. On "Jungle Blues," an early boogie piece by Morton, he let his right hand cut through John's pumping bass figures. At times he and John worked with interplay, using contrasting ideas; on "Perfect Rag," they cruised through a fast, descending melody and intricate parts, ending the piece with distinct melodies traded from piano to piano.

The two pianists articulated the richness of the music; classical ideas were underscored, then replaced moments later by blues melodies. There was wit and gentleness and a sense of synthesis that reflected a bygone era.

The second half of the concert featured the Jim Cullum Jazz Band from San Antonio. At first the group seemed slight, as if it was about to entertain the crowd with Dixieland. But after a tune or two, it settled down. The group's arrangements of Morton's music, tight and precise, kept to the composer's contours, and the improvised sections moved with real exuberance as Mr. Cullum on cornet, Bryan Ogilvie on clarinet and Mike Pittsley on trombone blew freely.

On "Freakish," a piano solo arranged by John, the self-consciously modern harmonies, moving in half steps, were brought out carefully. The band wasn't always swinging -- the drummer kept things firmly glued to the ground -- but the group still managed to imply the music's beauty and logic.

By PETER WATROUS
Published: July 26, 1993