Trombone 20 living greats

1 Curtis Fuller Hugely influential for decades. On John Coltrane classic Blue Train, simply consider he contributed significantly to a life changing album. Snap up, too, the Detroiter’s solo records particular from the late-1950s. 2 Slide Hampton

Published: 17 Nov 2019. Updated: 4 years.

1 Curtis Fuller

Hugely influential for decades. On John Coltrane classic Blue Train, simply consider he contributed significantly to a life changing album. Snap up, too, the Detroiter’s solo records particular from the late-1950s.

2 Slide Hampton

Hero to horn players such as saxophonist David Sánchez.

3 Fred Wesley

Written into music history via the Godfather of Soul as a pillar of the JBs – still cutting the mustard.

4 Robin Eubanks

Pivotal within the Dave Holland sound in the 1990s and beyond. As a leader ideas always swirl and connect.

5 Annie Whitehead

Check out Annie’s superb work with Robert Wyatt first off. Excels too drawing on Township.

6 Ku-umba Frank Lacy

Erstwhile Mingusian. Ku-umba does cool frontman stuff as a vocalist as well.

7 Steve Turré

Magic maker whether on trombone or, even, conch shells.

8 Wycliffe Gordon

Crucial listen when he was with Wynton. Already walking tall as a Gulliver in even the most Swiftly dashed off jazz history books.

9 Conrad Herwig

His latin-jazz treatment of the Herbie songbook blew me away when it came out. Formidable interpreting Wayne Shorter into the bargain.

10 Jonas Gwangwa

South African jazz icon.

11 Chris Barber

Trad for dads and all the family. ‘Ice cream’ often provided.

12 Trombone Shorty

New Orleans trombone reinvented for the Treme generation.

13 Grachan Moncur III

Very collectable from his Blue Note days. Later an avant garde lion.

14 Winston Rollins

Jools Holland’s preferred trombone player for many years who has also led his own big band at the Proms in an informal battle of the bands contest.

15 Julian Priester

Avant by reputation often but can do it all.

16 Dennis Rollins

Brother of Winston. Pride of Doncaster. Kudos for his work with Maceo.

17 Steve Davis

Superb mainstream player.

18 Ryan Keberle

Today's finest jazz trombonist innovator.

19 Ray Anderson

Joyous jazz club favourite.

20 Nils Wogram

Possessor of a dazzling technique that harnesses a mastery of range and form.

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Hannes Riepler, Wild Life, Jellymould

From 2016. Since The Brave released three years ago, Riepler, a skilled jam session leader, has moved on up. It’s an all-new band on this latest album. The Austrian is standing with his guitar in what looks like Ridley Road market just off the …

Published: 17 Nov 2019. Updated: 3 years.

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From 2016. Since The Brave released three years ago, Riepler, a skilled jam session leader, has moved on up.

It’s an all-new band on this latest album. The Austrian is standing with his guitar in what looks like Ridley Road market just off the Kingsland Road in Dalston, shoppers walking by behind him. On the back of the CD he’s in front of an open van that some of the street traders are using to ferry their stuff to and from the market.

Recorded in two stints in April and October last year in a London recording studio the tunes are mostly Riepler’s and they are extremely good: there’s no false impact to flirt with your senses – think Sco a bit, think Phil Robson too or Kurt Rosenwinkel at a push. Flow and in the moment narrative is key.

Chris Cheek’s tenor sax provides reflectively dreamy liquidy lines expertly gauged and relayed within the group interplay. There are no jutting-out edges to cut your ears but this is not complacent music at all, everything bleeds. Cheek’s ‘Sailing Ships’ is also one of the eight tracks, the American joining Riepler, bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer James Maddren to complete the line-up. Outside the jazz box the version of Beck’s ‘Modern Guilt’ is at the end. Rhyme the blues away.