Marcus Shelby

Marcus Anthony Shelby is a teacher, composer, arranger, and bassist. As artistic director of the Marcus Shelby Orchestra and other smaller ensembles, he has released twelve albums and composed award-winning scores for theater, ballet, and film. He is the recipient of fellowships and scholarships from the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, CalArts, Haas Foundation, and Stanford University, among others, and created work for the Oakland Ballet, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, de Young Museum, and the Museum of the African Diaspora. Shelby's accolades include conducting the Count Basie Orchestra featuring Ledisi, performing with Tom Waits, and earning "Best Jazz Musician" from several Bay Area publications, including CityFlight magazine's recognition of Shelby as one of the "Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area." Shelby teaches music at the Rooftop Alternative School, Stanford University Jazz Workshop, and the Oakland Public Conservatory. From 1990 to 1996, he was bandleader of the jazz ensemble Black Note, which released albums for Columbia Records and GRP/Impulse. He lives in San Francisco.