Howie Shear

I am searching Howies brother Ted Shear. If you can help me, please contact me via legacy.com. I can provide him with comfort and joy. Thank you for every hint. I need to find him.

Having not seen Howie for a number of years I was deeply saddened to just hear about this (May 2025). I made the drive from San Diego to Bob Reeves shop and to CSUN to take lessons from this master of his craft. He taught me so much and I will never forget the great shows he did at Vibrato in Westwood. I still play Bopliography and consider it one of my best CD's as compared to...anyone. I loved this guy and I will think of him fondly forever. Too young and too much still to give in a world that wants to take....

Yep . A year has flown by since Howie moved on to first chair. ;) im sure we could carry on a long conversation about my last 3 months of passing a kidney stone which ended yesterday with surgery by a red bearded Richard Dreyfus look alike. Howie could riff on anything... Social topics or trumpet. He was a great smiling soul always on and always ready.

Playing with Howie on Ray Wright's jazz band at Eastman when I was 19-20 years old. Great player. Had great fun playing with him that year!

Can't believe it's already been a year (6-27-2023) since Howie passed. Sending prayers out to his family and friends. He was a very talented guy and well liked in the Music community. Rest in Peace Howie...

I first heard and met Howie Shear while he was finishing up his degree at Fredonia University, NY. They brought their Big Band (Led by composer arranger Emile Palme), out to Connetquot HS in Bohemia, Long Island for our Jazz Night concert. Our band Dir. Red Reynolds was. Graduate of SUNY Fredonia, so he had that connection. The band was smoking and Howie sounded great! The next time I saw him was again on Long Island. This time he was leading up the Trumpet section of the Woody Herman Big band at an outdoor summer music concert. Once again Howie was sounding great! I was very sad to hear of Howie´s passing, and also disappointed that I never was able to have taken a lesson with him, as he moved out to the West Coast. Rest in Peace Howie.

I didn't really know Howie all that well personally, but I heard him play many times and he was a wonderful player. Just a beautiful sound, great endurance, powerful high register, and a terrific jazz and lead player. And, he had an amazing sense of humor. One of the funniest people you'd ever meet. He will be missed.

This is very sad news. Howie Shear was a fantastic musician and an equally fantastic educator.

I played with Howie in Ray Wright's Jazz Ensemble at Eastman in 1976-77. Great guy! Great player! Blessings to his family and friends.
Kevin Bollinger
Trumpet - Eastman School of Music
Denver, CO

I had a lesson and lunch with Howie back in the early days of the Bob Reeves Studio in the front of his shop. We covered everything from Legit to Jazz, he fixed several issues right on the spot and I was a better player when I walked out the door. Lunch was so much fun, we traded stories and talked about everyone we knew in the Business. Over the years we kept in touch. It never failed to amaze me all the things he could accomplish as a player and as a great teacher. His Improv Books are well used, I teach from them regularly. Thanks Howie for all you were and what you gave of yourself to all of us. God Bless you.