trombones

Jimmy Cheatham was one of the coolest jazz cats in the industry. Having worked with many of the top jazz players such as Duke Ellington and Ornette Coleman, Jimmy brought the sounds of tradition jazz to film scores and television programs over several decades. Jimmy’s warm personality was only watched by the smooth sounds of his trombone. When teamed with his wife, the jazz and blues pianist Jeannie Cheatham, the tones were unmistakable, clear and often strikingly intimate.

Lee O’Connor was a noted trombone player in the golden era of the big bands. His experience on the radio, traveling from town to town for name and territory bands, reflected the struggles of the Great Depression and the amazing impact music had on people. Lee was hired by Harry James at the most popular point of Harry’s orchestra and stayed with the group for four years.

John P. Smith was one of thousands of young musicians who toured the country on the buses, cars, and trains that carried the territory bands of the swing era from high school sock hops to hotel ballrooms. John’s trombone skills made him a sought-after musician who worked with several of the name bands of the 1930s and 40s, including the Artie Shaw Orchestra. John’s love of music only increased over the years. Even in his 90’s, John was playing with the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame Orchestra in San Diego, CA.  

Paul Tanner has lived a full and successful life in music. As a young trombone player, Paul was hired by Glenn Miller for the famed leader’s popular dance band. In fact, every gig, recording, and movie that the band appeared in, Paul was there! Paul played with the band for the last time right before Miller left to lead the Army Air Force Band. After the war, Paul turned his interest to music education and taught at UCLA for over 30 years.

Denis Wick was only 25 years old when he became the principal trombonist for the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). Over the next 30 years, he played with the LSO and other world class orchestras on stage and recordings. Along the way, he felt a need to improve the mouthpiece he was using, so he created his own. Fellow musicians and his students made requests for the mouthpiece known as “A.” Soon he began producing the mouthpieces. The original idea was not to make a product to sell, but rather to address and fix problems that players were having..