TromboneChat

Trombone is pretty limited in what it's used for. These days it's 99% classical and jazz. I'm wondering if there are any other genres in which trombone might be really good as a solo or featured instrument (not just background). Like, you don't hear a ton of trombones featured in hip-hop or country music.

I'm recording a trombone version of "Alone" by Berna Boy, and it's a serious challenge to get it to sound commercially viable, as it's not a natural fit. It made me lament that there are so many popular music genres that aren't a good fit for trombone. But that got me wondering what genres are or could be good fits. Heck, even in something closely related like smooth jazz doesn't see any trombone artists (except Jeff Bradshaw who actually features vocals, not trombone).

Tell me all the great genres where trombonists can live as features or soloists. Enquiring minds...

Latin and Caribbean styles seem hotbeds.

I think Jimmy Pankow might take exception to your limitations. Chicago (the group) is neither classical nor jazz.

Also, there are a lot of variations of Jazz; some more amenable to trombone than others. Same goes for Classical.

Do you consider Pop to be a form of jazz? some don't.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:59 am I think Jimmy Pankow might take exception to your limitations. Chicago (the group) is neither classical nor jazz.

Actually, he doesn't take exception to that. (He's an acquaintance and I performed with him and his band back in the dim reaches of time.) Chicago was an exception back in the '70s and remains an almost unique adventure in rock. In fact of that kind of horn band he once said, "We're gonna be the last band standing." And I think today they are, sadly.

Also, there are a lot of variations of Jazz; some more amenable to trombone than others. Same goes for Classical.

Do you consider Pop to be a form of jazz? some don't.

No, I don't consider Pop to be any kind of form of jazz. I relate it to rock much more than jazz. Even so, I can't think of a single Pop example of mainstreaming trombone as a featured instrument (as opposed to background or support). Do you have any examples of pop trombone features?

As you said, Latin and Caribbean are strong with trombones, but still only as sidemen, not as features or solo artists.

I think a segment of classical and a segment of jazz is pretty much where our glorious instrument lives these days, other than being occasional backups in other commercial music. PLEASE prove me wrong! LOL!

Correct me if I am wrong, but when ballads were sang by the big crooner names of the time, that was the pop music of the day! I think there still are some more contemporary pop ballads being written, but they are getting harder to find and I don't think they lend themselves as well as they used to for instrumental solo interpretation. I find it hard to play a melody where a good bit of the melody is largely "sang" in rap.

Anyway, I think your complaint is solid, unfortunately. And I think instrumental jazz of today largely reaches back to the golden age of the ballad, or standard, if you will, in an attempt to freshen a melody up so that it sounds as though it could have been written yesterday - and some do.

What genre do you consider this?

I could argue that marching music isn't "classical" although related, it's pretty much its own thing. Music built to do parades.

Horn section is not jazz or classical.

AndrewMeronek wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 4:05 pm What genre do you consider this?

Vegetable?

The Instrument itself is never the issue.

AndrewMeronek wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 4:05 pm What genre do you consider this?

Um, kinda Nawlins funk, I guess? But, oh my....

Are you aspiring to be the Kenny G of trombone? I'd rethink that. LOL

Hi all.

Some "Avangarde Heavy Metal" stuff .
This italian band , "Ottone Pesante" ; trombone , trumpet , drums .





I know the trombone player , is a very kind person .

Regards
Giancarlo

Roswell Rudd never seemed to be restricted.
Be like Roswell. Maybe visit Roswell NM

Where do Wind Bands, symphonic, concert, military or otherwise, fit in and also British style Brass Bands?
These feature trombones more than the average orchestra and have a repertoire which is specific to them while often playing music which is biased towards "classical" and "jazz".

Cheers

Stewbones43

tbdana wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:11 am Trombone is pretty limited in what it's used for. These days it's 99% classical and jazz.

Is that true though? I see and hear trombones in a lot of non-jazz popular genres. A friend of mine is right now in the brass section of Apashe's Antagonist tour, 23 shows in 31 across Europe. Certainly nobody would describe that music as either jazz or classical.

Also, I work full time in the early music scene. While that's technically part of "classical music", most of the early music we play on trombone is in a musical language about as far removed from the language of the more usual classical music of 1780–1930 as that is removed from Jazz. Same for some of our colleagues who do experimental new music. Very different kinds of playing. There are way more options out there than "classical" or jazz.

About the only thing I can suggest is that the popular genres of today tend to be primarily led by strings of various types (although not the orchestral type). Your typical "band" is a quartet of 2 guitars, bass guitar, and drums; or a quintet adding a keyboard player.

If you really want to be left out, play the viola

Ska, anyone? "Wrong Way" by Sublime (not appropriate for the forum)

Mighty Mighty Bosstones:

I’m sorry, I now realize I wasn’t at all clear.

First, I should have specified that I’m referring to genres of commercial music; music you can make a living off of and that have some general appeal, beyond what I think of as niche appeal like early music or wind bands.

And second I should have emphasized that I meant genres that use trombone as a feature, solo or melody instrument, not as a sideman. The person who stands in front of the ensemble and is the focus of the music.

Sorry for my sloppiness and narrow vision. But it led to some fascinating posts.

Oh, in that case, besides the wide wide world of jazz, none. I thought you played trombone lol. If you don't consider a fat trombone solo in the middle of a fairly popular ska group's CD tracks as a feature ... You must be really shooting for the stars!

I wouldn't even consider "classical" as a genre to really fit what you're asking for. There is a Christian Lindberg shaped hole that was blown into the locked door to that world that has since been mostly patched over.

What about ... Funky ABBA?



Probably still closer to jazz than what you are talking about.

While it's not trombone focused, I feel like a lot of hip hop is slowly starting to integrate live horn sections with jazz influence. NPR Tiny Desk Concerts are a pretty great example of this!

How about Daft Punk covers? (besides the ITF collab) - and when it's Jack Conte's, CEO of Patreon, funk cover group, it's very good with remote horns. I like finding songs with trombones that are not the typical venues. Australia's cover group HSCC will use horns and they are great.

For solo pop trombone, here's a young trombonist, Marcus Cambell, with the massage of studio production and a nice cover w/ flute of Save Your Tears by The Weeknd - a great duet with Ariana Grande by the way.

I like that melodic vibe that has yearning; possibilities like trombone covering Enya such as May It Be to I'll Fly with You by Gigi D'agostino to French Alizee to Walk Off The Earth - off topic but check out their bluegrass cover of Gun's and Roses Don't Cry recorded up among the backyard trees.

To my ears, I think of the trombone as a solo instrument as a voice that can sing higher over my bass range, in learning and have way too many songs stacked up to learn in this lifetime. Speaking of, time to practice; have a new Marcinkiewicz ET4 that is helping to get a little closer to those songs.. one more to share...

It is an old 60's jazz standard and an urban legend on YouTube, but too good to pass and wish recording in the house sounded 1/2 as good, trombone et all with singer Antwaun Stanley's seriously good cover of Sunny. He also covers with Jack's group Scary Pockets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ska_punk# ... unk%20rock.

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:29 pm Ska, anyone? "Wrong Way" by Sublime (not appropriate for the forum)

Mighty Mighty Bosstones:

Absolutely. I was going to mention ska/punk where horns are often used to great effect.

Anybody mentioned reggae?

Trombone is sometimes used as a melodic instrument in choro, which is from Brazil. There are a lot of really good choro tunes. They tend to be really long tunes with a lot of sections and optional repeats.

not sure which are trombone-led, but here's an entire culture of brass players https://www.woodstockderblasmusik.at/

I do church music on trombone. Sometimes, it is gospel.

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:51 am Trombone is sometimes used as a melodic instrument in choro, which is from Brazil. There are a lot of really good choro tunes.

I'm just emerging from a YouTube rabbit hole after chasing lots of choro trombone tunes.
Fascinating and wonderful music! Thanks to Doug for the introduction.