Since I picked up my old trombone again back in February, I have been on a journey to re-learn what I used to know and try to improve beyond that former plateau. I will probably write about this experience at some point, but I want to focus on something different today. I have also been listening to many trombonists and find myself impressed by the women that have made the unpopular choice to play the ol' sliphorn, The trombone community has been a "boys club" for a long time, but that is no longer as true as it used to be. Some of the more interesting players right now are women. They still don't get the attention they deserve, IMO. I'm going to focus on them for a while because they are fantastic artists.
The Founding Mother of the female trombonist tribe is Melba Liston who is pictured above. Ms. Liston picked up the horn when she was 10 years old and quickly became proficient, playing pit orchestra gigs in Los Angeles while still in high school. The great tenor saxophonist, Dexter Gordon, was Melba's high school classmate. After a year of playing professionally, Melba landed a job as assistant to composer and arranger Gerald Wilson. Wilson was in the process of forming his first big band, and Melba was in the trombone section. She recorded with Dexter Gordon in 1947 - he dedicated the tune "Mischievous Lady" to her. I think Melba went through some tough times - racism and sexism made it tough for a black female trombonist and arranger. She dropped out of music for a while. Melba did clerical work and got cast as an extra in some movies (she had a small part in "The Ten Commandments"). In 1950, Dizzy Gillespie reached out and she joined his band. She was also a featured performer with Quincy Jones' bands in the early 1960's. Here is a wonderful example of Melba's trombone lyricism from that time.
It seems like many trombonists become composers and arrangers. J.J. Johnson and Slide Hampton both were prolific. Melba Liston also took up this profession and she was fabulous. She collaborated extensively with the pianist Randy Weston. She taught music at universities in Jamaica for a number of years in the 1970's, returning to the U.S. in the early 1980's. When Melba had a stroke in 1985 and couldn't play trombone anymore, she kept composing and arranging. Here is one of her arrangements from Randy Weston's Volcano Blues album - really gorgeous harmonic colors!
Melba Liston was a great trombonist and arranger, but she was more than that. She overcame enormous prejudice and broke out of the social prison imposed on black women. Her art and life force were unstoppable.
We lost her at age 73 in 1999. All trombonists should study this woman. In fact, everyone should.
