DC Bebop - Amy Shook

MUSIC - Amy Shook - a multi-instrumentalist (acoustic bass, electric bass, violin, viola, and cello), composer and songwriter

PRESS - ARTICLES - VIDEOS

Amy Shook - Bassist, composer and songwriter. Amy holds two bachelor's degrees (performance and composition) and a master's degree (performance) from the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. Amy co-leads the all-women powerhouse trio the 3D Jazz Trio (3Divas), with drummer Sherrie Maricle and pianist Jackie Warren. 3D is the super-swingin’ trio that sparked the fire that ignited the award-winning show Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life, described by the New York Times as “blistering hot.” In addition to the 3D Jazz Trio, Amy's most recent musical collaboration is as a member of the Temporal Taal Collective, an ensemble comprised of tenor saxophonist and bansuri flute artist Anjan Shah, Nabin Shrestha on tabla, Jonathan Epley on guitar, Amy on bass and Kathak dance artist Sarah Morelli. Together, they are committed to forging new sonic landscapes that unite Eastern and Western musical traditions...

Fred Hughes Trio with Amy Shook & Frank Russo
Avalon Theater Part 1

To celebrate the National Education Association's 2025 "Read Across America" week, Amy had the honor of joining Newbery Award-winning author Kwame Alexander for a live reading of his novel in verse, The Crossover, performing her original solo bass score to underscore his verse... Amy also co-leads The Sholbertshire Swingtet, which features a quartet of the mid-Atlantic's favorite voices in jazz - Amy Shook on bass, Joe Holt on piano, Scott Silbert on tenor saxophone, and Steve Abshire on guitar... Amy's longest standing ensemble, the Shook/Russo 4tet, is a band she started in 2004 with her husband, tenor saxophonist Pat Shook, and drummer Frank Russo. Along with their guitarist Jonathan Epley, the SR4tet’s focus has always been to compose and perform their own original music within the jazz idiom, honoring the masters by carrying on the tradition... Amy's performance credits are extensive, having performed with many well-known musicans over the course of her career. The preceeding content is excerpted from Amy's Website Bio.

PRESS:

3D Jazz Trio - 9 to 5 (2022)

"One can't help but learn about the meaning of style and sophistication from the 3D Jazz Trio. Since the release of its debut—3Divas (Self-Produced, 2017)—pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Amy Shook and drummer Sherrie Maricle have proven to be a collective paragon of taste. Whether swinging for the fences, setting scenes ablaze in Latin quarters, captivating with balladic charms or taking playfulness to new peaks, this band is always a model for musicality." ~ Dan Bilawsky - AllAboutJazz.com

Pianist Jackie Warren Website, Drummer Sherrie Maricle Website.

3Divas

"3 Divas is the outstanding trio and album of three tremendously talented musicians. Pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Amy Shook and drummer Sherrie Maricle comprise this fantastic unit. In addition to their individual mastery, there’s an evident chemistry in their performance that is simply superb. To add to this, the arrangements of the tunes, which includes compositions by David Mann, Johnny Mercer and Jimmy Van Heusen, Pee Wee King and Anotnio Carlos Jobim, among others, are superb. Whether they playing up or downtempo selections, the three are in perfect sync. A fantastic recording from a fantastic group of musicians." ~ The Jazz Page

Felicia Carter & Amy Shook “Nothing To Do”
Press Release

"Following their collaboration of music for a PBS documentary, jazz vocalist Felicia Carter and bassist Amy Shook joined forces in forming ShookShak productions, to showcase their original music. Their maiden release, "Nothing to Do", features the same ensemble from Carter’s critically acclaimed double CD, “Feather/Step Lightly”; the FAB Trio (Amy Shook – bass, Bob Butta – piano, Frank Russo – drums), and Donato Soviero (guitar). According to the Washington Post, “Carter can cast a spell with her lyrics alone”, while the FAB Trio “has uncommon cohesiveness and passionate positive energy”, says JazzTimes." ~ Link to .PDF file

ARTICLES:

Listening to "Nothing To Do"

"What a fantastic little treasure I found the other day when I got to hear Amy Shook and Felicia Carter live at the Westminster Presbyterian Jazz Night! Somehow this CD wound up in my CD player, and I was soon groovin’ to their title track, "Nothin’ To Do." Love Felicia Carter’s voice, silky smooth with a penchant for Portuguese, and her songs have a bluesy/jazzy/new orleans feel to them. " ~ Shannon Gunn, trombone - Jazz to the Bone

FELICIA CARTER AND AMY SHOOK

Album review: "Nothing to Do"
"You won’t find singer Felicia Carter and bassist Amy Shook dutifully saluting prime influences on “Nothing to Do.” They’re too busying toasting boisterous spirits, celebrating witty songcraft and conjuring warm lyricism." ~ Mike Joyce, April 29, 2011 - Washington Post

Amy Shook & Shook/Russo Quartet: Oh Wow!

Jazz with an Exclamation Point

"Amy Shook speaks in exclamation points. During a thirteen-minute conversation about her music at the Cape May Jazz Festival this past April, the 36-year-old upright bassist’s voice rises markedly in pitch and intensity no less than five times. “Oh wow!” she exclaims alto voce when asked about her aspirations for her Washington, D.C.-based, traditional-style jazz ensemble with Frank Russo - the Shook/Russo Quartet."
~ Tara Nurin, JazzTimes