He was the drummer on Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith in 1962 which featured big band arrangements by Oliver Nelson, including the pop hit "Walk on the Wild Side" which peaked at #21 on the Billboard chart.

[1] Although best known as a big band drummer, Shaughnessy also performed small group work with Gene Ammons, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, Mundell Lowe, Teo Macero, Charles Mingus, Shirley Scott, Jack Sheldon, Horace Silver, and many others.

In the early 1970s he was doing similar work in Los Angeles and is credited with discovering Diane Schuur, whom he introduced at the 1976 Monterey Jazz Festival.

Shaughnessy played in an early incarnation of the "Sesame Street" orchestra along with percussionist Danny Epstein, reed player Wally Kane, and, on occasion, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

[3][4] With Trigger Alpert With Gene Ammons With George Barnes With Count Basie With George Benson With Stephen Bishop With Bob Brookmeyer With Gary Burton With Teddy Charles With Jimmy Forrest With Dizzy Gillespie With Jimmy Giuffre With Honi Gordon With Johnny Hodges With Etta Jones With Quincy Jones With Hubert Laws With Peggy Lee With Mundell Lowe With Kathy McCord With Helen Merrill With Maria Muldaur With Oliver Nelson With Joe Newman With Lalo Schifrin With Shirley Scott With Ed Summerlin With Clark Terry With Cal Tjader With Chuck Wayne