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.

Don Getzen sure knows the history of the band instruments made in the mid-west! Don’s father was the plant manager for the Holton Company in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, his oldest uncle was the plant manager for the York Band Instrument Company in Michigan and at the same time his other uncle was the plant manager for the CG Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana. In 1939 Don’s father formed the Getzen Company where he and his brother Bob worked growing up. Don later established DEG Musical in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for which he designed several innovative products, two of which he holds patents.  

Josef Lausman has proudly followed in his family’s footsteps. In the small German village of Nauheim (near Frankfurt) he continues to make mouthpieces, primarily for trumpets and trombones. The small factory may not be well known to players by name, however, since their products are made for many of the leading horn makers around the world, are played by professionals and students alike. When asked if he ever planned to produce their own name brand mouthpieces, Josef replied, “Maybe we will one day, but right now we are too busy doing what we do best, make products for other companies and it works well for us.”  

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.

Ed Rizzuto has been surrounded by music his entire life. As a young boy he started playing trombone, which he continued throughout high school and into his military service in the early 1950s. After teaching orchestra as a school band director for several years, Ed joined the music industry as a salesman for a music wholesaler before being hired by Yamaha in 1974. Ed worked with a small team to build the newly established band and orchestra division of Yamaha. In 1980, Ed’s long time friend, William Schultz, asked him to join the Fender Company to oversee the marketing of the acoustic guitar products. Ed retired from Fender in 2002. 

George Roberts is known in the jazz world for his recording of “Stella By Starlight” with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which featured George on bass trombone. He is known among music instrument makers as Mr. Bass Trombone, who helped make a market for the instrument beginning in the late 1940s. George is known to movie trivia buffs as the trombonist who scared audiences with the sounds before JAWS attacked (ba-dump ba-dump). His is also known to his NAMM family for creating Bones West, a big band style trombone band that has played at every trade show since the mid 1970s. 

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. He continued to play throughout the 1950s and 60s, making notable recordings such as playing the Theremin on the Beach Boy hit “Good Vibration” and countless studio recordings.  

John Welch is the president of Sofia Violins, which is an American-made instrument company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. John’s incredible life in music began as a child when he was classically trained on the piano. He played jazz trombone during the Bebop era in New York. In fact, he has a wonderful story about a “gig” he played with Charlie (the Bird) Parker. Still later, John created a series of music publications for piano, using the Peanut cartoon characters.

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..