Tony Collins, a gem of the orchestral and trombone world, passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. He was a friend, a coach, and a trombonist extraordinaire. There is a wonderful tribute to him on Steve Trapani’s FB page.

I went to school with Tony in NY. He was a bit older than the rest of us, having lived, worked, and gigged in the real world before deciding to go and finish his degree. You will never meet a kinder, more positive person and even back then his playing was beautiful and inspiring.