I have long been a trombonist in pursuit of excellence in the performance of both jazz and classical styles of music. I therefore have a great interest in performing challenging and entertaining ‘crossover’ repertoire, that is in this case, solo music made up of contrasting styles. For the sake of simplifying the argument, I will refer to the different styles as falling into one of the two huge categories; ‘jazz’ and ‘classical’.
Playing convincingly in both styles can be very difficult, in fact many players believe it impossible or at least strongly unadvisable to play both classical and jazz music; rather one must choose in which to specialize. Are they right? I believe not and I hope this essay will provide sound argument for the existence and the valued quality of the versatile player.
If it is claimed to be impossible then the doubt must surely be over the ability to successfully switch techniques. ‘Jazz trombone technique’ and ‘Classical trombone technique’ are often spoken of but is there any difference, do they indeed even exist?
I believe they don’t; where technique is concerned there should be no change in the fundamentals of trombone playing. Breathing, tonguing, coordination of the slide, support, embouchure and posture all stay the same, or certainly should no matter which style of music is being played. I asked several trombonists for their opinions on this subject and this seemed to be the consensus. Pioneering virtuoso John Kenny puts it like this:
“Well, my own belief is that the instrumental technique of playing the trombone contains basic requirements which are necessary for the achievement of fluid expression in all and every style, from medieval music to the avant garde, through jazz…a good player has the potential to play all styles and periods of music. The style of music is in the mind and body of the player.”
I believe this myth about different techniques stems from the heritage of trombonists not lucky enough to have been taught the fundamentals of trombone technique. This is not so much different but rather a lack of technique. It also humbles those of us lucky enough to have received excellent tuition, teaching us that having solid technique is helpful but it will never be more important than musicality. International trombone specialist Christopher Houlding explains:
“We all know that some people approach playing jazz from a rather elementary technical level and find their own way of making ideas work regardless of even basic technical knowledge. These players are often totally inspiring and very individual but frequently not terribly versatile.”
As musical education increased over the world, jazz was left behind. This is understandable considering its aural tradition and expressive freedom and since precise interpretation of notation is not required, those leading educational institutions have often looked down upon it. Even in this country, if one wanted to study jazz there was not a single jazz course offered by a British conservatoire until the 1980s and studying both was not an option where tuition was concerned.
Instrumental teaching at school level has always been based on a classical curriculum, though I am very pleased to see that in recent years the ABRSM have developed a jazz syllabus with a set of graded examinations to run alongside their age old classical syllabus.
Despite the fact that most of my work as a trombonist is playing jazz, I am very grateful to have had such thorough training through the classical curriculum. My knowledge and understanding of trombone technique aids me every time I pick up the instrument.
The casualties of the system are players of my age or older who have fantastic technique and fluency on the trombone and want to start playing jazz, but don’t understand the style because they haven’t come into contact with the music early enough and now it’s a difficult transition to make. On the other side there are also the older trombonists who have played jazz all their lives without any training but who really struggle technically, particularly as their bodies get older. They never reach their playing potentials and often damage their bodies in the process.
One practical obstacle that stands in the way of the versatile player is the issue of time management. Practicing enough to get to and stay at a professional standard in one style is difficult enough, which is why many teachers see studying a broader range of styles as diluting one’s effort and achievement. Michael Hext of The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House writes:
“Would players who attempt to master all styles be compromising their overall ability? Whilst I accept that there will always be players who specialise in one style I would argue that there is a lot to be gained from a certain measure of versatility. Apart from the obvious musical fulfilment that can be gained from performing diverse musical idioms there is also the added benefit (from a professional standpoint) of being suitable for any form of work. Much of the work required of modern freelance players requires that they are able to adapt to any style of playing.”
Michael is right, there is a huge amount of work available only to the versatile player who can be booked for the film score session, the musical and the avant-garde recording in the same week. In a freelance career, where gigs can be few and far between, turning down jobs is not a profitable option. Having made the choice to play a fantastically versatile instrument like the trombone, why not be versatile enough to use it.
Public reputation is very important to the freelance musician because being a professional player is about being part of a large network of players the opinions of whom can affect how much work you get offered. This network like to label and (perhaps without meaning to) pigeonhole everyone as a certain type of player. Are you a jazz or a straight player is often asked. If they decide you are a ‘jazzer’ for example then you are rather unlikely to be offered much orchestral work unless you have proved yourself publicly to be great at both and word has spread as such.
It is a very competitive industry and so, given the great choice of players available, employers are always going to want to book a specialist. They need to know what you do in order to judge your experience and reputation; in the same way that I have briefly described the players that I have quoted in this essay. Rightly or wrongly that is the way the industry works.
The most obvious example of a player who has proved, in flamboyant style, that mastering both styles is possible is Wynton Marsalis. He has produced more than 60 records, selling more than 7 million records worldwide. He is the only artist to win Grammy Awards for both classical and jazz records and the only artist to win Grammy Awards 5 years running with 9 in total. In the trombone world Richard Edwards stands out for me; as well as playing on practically every film score going he has recorded with the likes of Sinatra and Quincy Jones. Richard has performed with all of London’s top orchestras and is now a professor of the trombone at the RCM, London.
So what is their secret? Well in Wynton’s case we know that his father, Ellis encouraged him to reach the top of the classical profession before he started his jazz training. He managed this rather quicker than most, playing Haydn’s trumpet concerto with the New Orleans Philharmonic aged 14. Richard Edwards had a similar classical background before immersing himself in jazz. This seems to be the story for the majority of the most successful jazz wind players.
Our technical approach should not change but our stylistic approach has to. When playing jazz I see the trombone as more of a colourful, expressive voice than the strong, tenor brass sound of the noble trombone. It is an intimate colour, a personal voice.
All music comes from singing but jazz has remained more rooted in the vocal tradition. You only have to hear a jazz musician scat you a phrase to hear the vocal line that he or she is trying to emulate on their instrument. One of the greatest compliments you can pay a jazz musician is to say that they have a ‘voice’ of their own. Jazz is not quite as improvised as it often appears, more often than not the less experienced improvisers will rely on learnt lines or ‘licks’ to get around the fast harmonic shifts of the music. If, however a player can play with complete freedom then they can really begin to sound like a unique character gaining their ‘voice.’
The trombone is a difficult instrument to achieve a perfect legato on. When moving between notes on the same harmonic, unlike an instrument with valves or keys, one cannot slur without re-articulating. This can easily sound too detached if the tonguing is not gentle enough or like a glissando if the tonguing is too slow. The perfect slur can only be achieved by crossing the natural harmonics of the instrument and to make use of this melodically the music has to written higher up in the tessitura of the instrument where the harmonics are closer together and the slide need not move so far.
To facilitate the higher and indeed faster playing required in jazz music most trombonists choose to play a smaller instrument. Still pitched in Bb like the symphonic tenor, small bore tenor trombones resonate more easily and more clearly in the high register improving flexibility and projection whilst also producing a brighter, sweeter sound.
For all this awkwardness, the slide does of course give the trombone the unique ability (outside of the string family) to emulate the scoops and slides of the human voice and to allow a more sustained, centred vibrato. When used tastefully these effects can give a beautifully smooth vocal quality to a jazz ballad or a big band backing line.
One of the absolute masters of the jazz ballad on the trombone is Jiggs Whigham. I find it hard to understand how he plays so smoothly with such gentle yet perfect production. The answer of course lies in his technique; he can take on massive amounts of air and control and support it so well that the instrument quite literally sings through every phrase.
So when it comes to contemporary ‘crossover’ repertoire, music inspired more by the trombone itself and its versatile heritage than one specific style. Performing such music requires an amplified sense of style as it switches between sections; one of the leading specialists in such music is John Kenny. John is an extremely interesting musician, he has done everything but the ordinary with the trombone, taking it to its limits and beyond! He writes:
“Imagine the trombonist's frustration: no established repertoire, no legacy from the giants of western music. For three centuries the instrument has been consigned to the back of the orchestra, to heavy-weight padding and buffoonery. To escape that stigma the trombonist must interest himself in extremes; the very old, the very new, jazz and areas where the natural theatricality of the instrument is valued. I am continually searching for new ways of using the trombone and for interesting musicians to perform with, and to that end I have developed duo partnerships with piano, percussion, organ and electronics in an attempt to reveal different facets of the instrument. Once you start looking the possibilities are endless!”
I have played a lot of ‘crossover’ repertoire in recent years, mainly to add some diversity to recital programmes and show some versatility but also to entertain. The recital platform, particularly examined recitals are difficult programmes to balance. When performing a piece that requires a lot of personal stylistic interpretation it is very difficult to please the tastes of the panel. I for one hate to hear classical trombonists playing these pieces with no sense of the style the music is emulating. This sounds like a contradiction but it’s not; trombonists should aim to be as versatile as possible but they can’t do this by playing every style in the same way. It takes a lot of work, both listening and playing to sound at home in a new style but it’s well worth it.
Playing the trombone successfully requires a set of stable technical foundations; you need to be in complete control of the instrument. It also requires a knowledge and understanding of the musical style; music with less markings often requires more expression. I’m going to keep on pursuing excellence in every style I can, knowing that it’s possible and profitable to do so!
