[Dixielandjazz] For the Bones out there.

[Steven Holzer]

Another greatly underappreciated trombonist is Pat Arana, the 
oft-overlooked third member of the Old St. Louis Levee Band's front 
line. For years, Pat filled the void created by the band's lack of a 
trumpet. He played high parts that would have Watrous visibly sweating 
and never broke a sweat or appeared even vaguely troubled. His tone was 
always full and beautiful. Musically, he was the glue that held the band 
together, even though Jeannie and Red Lehr got most of the attention.

I would certainly take exception to the comments about trombonists of 
high quality being less common. In the indianapolis area we have always 
had a sufeit of good trombone players, to the point where we would 
gladly have exported a few in exchange for one or two really good clarinets.

Steve Holzer

Dan Augustine wrote:

>     For my money, Bob Havens and Wycliffe Gordon are two of the top 
>trombonists playing jazz and OKOM, and as Bob Ringwald said, Jack 
>Sheldon had a great guy on trombone a while back.
>     But hell, there are a lot of great players around the country 
>that nobody has heard about.  There's an absolute monster of a player 
>from San Antonio named Ron Wilkins whose playing will set your hair 
>on fire.  I mean, he's doing Watrous-like licks all over the place, 
>but not just techinical stuff -- hard jazz-figures and great ideas.
>     Kenny Rupp with the Jim Cullum band has perhaps been cutting back 
>on the number of solos he's taking.  But i've heard him in person 
>many times at the Landing, and he has some of the greatest, sweetest 
>technique and tone.  Jim and his band will be featured here in Austin 
>on March 18th at the Austin Traditional Jazz Society concert at the 
>Capital City Comedy Club, and i guaran-damn-tee you it will be a 
>barn-burner (see the ATJS website http://www.atjs.org for more info).
>
>     Dan
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>>From: LRG4003 at aol.com
>>Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 22:40:02 EST
>>To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] For the Bones out there.
>>
>>This should rile up some discussion.  I  forwarded a Teagarden YouTube
>>posting to a trombone player with whom I have the  opportunity to 
>>play on occasion. 
>>He isn't on DJML but he responded with  these comments.  I wondered what your
>>response would be.  K.C.  Clarinet
>>
>>Thanks.  I had not seen this one  before.  Obviously, it has been kicking
>>around cyberspace for a  while.  I have, in the CD reissues, the two Verve
>>recordings that JT made  in the early 60's.  They are wonderful, and 
>>they show tht
>>JT was still in  top form right up to the end, despite the chemical abuse to
>>his body.I   also hope that Verve re-issues the third and very last of JT's
>>LP's. I  think the writer is right on about the fallen state of the 
>>trombone.  The
>> level of trombone playing in the jazz world is for the most part at a 70
>>year  low.  There are a few really great trombonists around, but 
>>they are people 
>>that few have heard of, such as Herb Bruce.  None of the current  trombonists
>>mentioned in the article as examples of contemporary trombonists are 
>>anywhere near the level of a Frank Rosolino or a Carl Fontana, and 
>>needless  to say,
>>none of them have anything approaching the emotional maturity and 
>>musicianship of JT.  At least none that I have heard.   This 
>>situation is all the more
>>ironic in that classical  trombone playing is at an all time high.  There is a
>>wealth of truly  great symphonic trombonists who are making CD after CD of
>>phenomenal  recordings.  Technical excellence in trombone playing 
>>has advanced to
>>the  point where the jazz world can no longer use the old "trombone is a
>>clumsy,  awkward instrument that cannot be played in a way to keep 
>>up with keyed or
>> valved instruments" argument.   Actually, that tired old argument has  not
>>been valid for more than 30 years, but I still hear it.  When you  listen to
>>any of today's big bands cut loose on a chart with  solos, you 
>>always get a sax
>>(usually tenor) solo, and frequently a  trumpet solo, but only VERY rarely do
>>you get a trombone solo (and usually  then you wish you hadn't).  Even when
>>you listen to CD's of today's  jazz groups, you almost never hear trombone
>>solos.  The reason is very  simple:  very, very few of the competent section
>>trombone men can solo  worth crap.  Part of the reason is that their level of 
>>technical proficiency is not high enough to be able to translate any 
>>ideas  from
>>their head to the end of their bell.  And that is a  disgrace, given what has
>>been going on in the classical arena.   Even when listening to the 
>>Cullum band,
>>you will notice that the trombone takes  much, much fewer solos than the other
>>front line horns.  As far as I  can determine, it has always been that way.
>>    
>>
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