The best trombone ballad you've ever heard

tbdana · by **tbdana** » 2024-02-24 7:46 p.m.

What is the best trombone ballad you've ever heard?

Please post a link to a sound or video file, so we can all listen. :)

Slydeguy · by **Slydeguy** » 2024-02-24 8:39 p.m.

A favorite: Frank Rosolino “Violets”

<YOUTUBE id="y_jmTqMGFKg">https://youtu.be/y_jmTqMGFKg?si=lmxTQ3AqcneBZPg5</YOUTUBE>

tbdana · by **tbdana** » 2024-02-24 10:01 p.m.

Oh, that's a GREAT one! Thank you.

My favorite ballad of Frank's is I Just Don't Want To Run Around Anymore. So much soul, so much anguish, so urgent. Even the note he airballs adds to the angst. This one just slays me.

<YOUTUBE id="pvudYgjh7So">https://youtu.be/pvudYgjh7So?si=dX1fNF5JSeOOz96b</YOUTUBE>

Nolankberk · by **Nolankberk** » 2024-02-24 10:46 p.m.

<YOUTUBE id="PjNMeR9T7UU">https://youtu.be/PjNMeR9T7UU?si=9K57oWvmRWEv_lGR</YOUTUBE>

Nothing beats a nice melody with strings

Nolankberk · by **Nolankberk** » 2024-02-24 10:48 p.m.

<YOUTUBE id="ricVfprV0Lo">https://youtu.be/ricVfprV0Lo?si=hq0ueS3tqAfUxZU8</YOUTUBE>

This one too!

GGJazz · by **GGJazz** » 2024-02-24 10:56 p.m.

Hi all .

Here two among my favourites:

J. J. Johnson "My Old Flame" ( 1958)

<YOUTUBE id="8iGHuYDiS1g">https://youtu.be/8iGHuYDiS1g?si=CwfxF31ZnIUr5hVR</YOUTUBE>

Jack Jenney "Stardust" (1939)

<YOUTUBE id="uC-kWPfBc1Q">https://youtu.be/uC-kWPfBc1Q?si=PM39a-75xErhIVQC</YOUTUBE>

Again , after so many years of listening , I love they madly ..!

Regards

Giancarlo

EriKon · by **EriKon** » 2024-02-25 4:56 a.m.

I really like both of those Rosolino ballads mentioned above. Also some great Stardust recordings out there. But I think my favorite is this one, played by Watrous.

<YOUTUBE id="dSiyBzmNcZQ">https://youtu.be/dSiyBzmNcZQ?si=EyQYIgbZF326ZdL3</YOUTUBE>

harrisonreed · by **harrisonreed** » 2024-02-25 8:23 a.m.

<YOUTUBE id="pjfXaXJuEFo">~~[media]~~https://youtu.be/pjfXaXJuEFo?feature=shared</YOUTUBE>

Not exactly a ballad. But .... Pretty much a really long ballad. This piece always intrigues me. Good luck getting the score though...

I wish I could hear this one played by someone with Frank's approach he took in Violets.

harrisonreed · by **harrisonreed** » 2024-02-25 8:38 a.m.

Again, not a jazz Ballad. But ballad playing by a really young player:

<YOUTUBE id="YPHRJdKrcd4">~~[media]~~https://youtu.be/YPHRJdKrcd4?feature=shared</YOUTUBE>

jej · by **jej** » 2024-02-25 4:27 p.m.

Dick Nash, "My One and Only Love"

<YOUTUBE id="v-bpDCP_UpM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-bpDCP_UpM</YOUTUBE>

AndrewMeronek · by **AndrewMeronek** » 2024-02-25 4:54 p.m.

I don't really have a "best" ballad but thinking about this question, I did some thinking of a potential trombonist who is in my list of favorite ballad players, and then I did some sleuthing and found this gem:

<YOUTUBE id="vQ57WpnM7tk">~~[media]~~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ57WpnM7tk</YOUTUBE>

harrisonreed · 2024-02-25 5:17 p.m.

[quote="AndrewMeronek"]I don't really have a "best" ballad but thinking about this question, I did some thinking of a potential trombonist who is in my list of favorite ballad players, and then I did some sleuthing and found this gem:

<YOUTUBE id="vQ57WpnM7tk">~~[media]~~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ57WpnM7tk</YOUTUBE>[/quote]

For all the players who keep thinking ribbon mics are the only way to go, listen to that U87 (or possibly M269). That recording sounds awesome.

KWL · by **KWL** » 2024-02-25 5:22 p.m.

The most influential for me was Dick Nash playing "Joanna" in the Henry Mancini album "More Music from Peter Gunn" my sister brought home when I was about thirteen years old. I still have that album. According to the liner notes it was recorded on February 17, and March 5 and 6, 1959.

<YOUTUBE id="6IHzPfDrIxI"><LINK_TEXT text="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IHzPfD ... cini-Topic">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IHzPfDrIxI&ab_channel=HenryMancini-Topic</LINK_TEXT></YOUTUBE>

LetItSlide · 2025-05-01 12:29 a.m.

Not the best recording ever, but Urbie making E-flat in the fifth octave sound easy, and generally sounding smooth as silk.

<YOUTUBE id="G_KcabmAEKs">https://youtu.be/G_KcabmAEKs?si=WLEwJ7AFSr6hoYZE</YOUTUBE>

TheConnArtist70H · by **TheConnArtist70H** » 2025-05-01 3:57 a.m.

For me, Bill and his amazing rendition of " Times " by the one and only Mr Patrick Williams, also featuring the amazing Tom Scott on Sax..... To me this just goes to show how a mix of talented musicians can make it sound Sooooo easy, effortless..... and good

<YOUTUBE id="V_XlYnldXYE">https://youtu.be/V_XlYnldXYE?feature=shared</YOUTUBE>

Wow ! Thanks Bill & Pat

JTeagarden · by **JTeagarden** » 2025-05-01 7:58 a.m.

Lawrence Brown's Golden Cress is pretty nice:

<YOUTUBE id="Qjq5zb9pB2w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjq5zb9pB2w</YOUTUBE>

Jack Teagarden, Love Lies:

<YOUTUBE id="G7zncerlCio">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7zncerlCio</YOUTUBE>

dershem · by **dershem** » 2025-05-01 7:49 p.m.

<YOUTUBE id="XRlyDo-YG64">https://youtu.be/XRlyDo-YG64?feature=shared</YOUTUBE>

Fidbone · by **Fidbone** » 2025-05-02 1:55 a.m.

<YOUTUBE id="emVsrjJRc8Y">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emVsrjJRc8Y</YOUTUBE>

VJOFan · by **VJOFan** » 2025-05-03 1:04 p.m.

<YOUTUBE id="MidWs8wlZ6g">https://youtu.be/MidWs8wlZ6g?si=R4-AKKAGNt8j9sMG</YOUTUBE>

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2025-05-03 1:07 p.m.

I’m fond of McChesney’s The First Time.

geseco · by **geseco** » 2025-05-04 11:44 a.m.

Any from an alto?

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The best trombone ballad you've ever heard