George Roberts and the Bass Trombone

George Roberts, who died last month, was possibly the most influential bass trombonist in popular music, and was widely admired by classical instrumentalists as well.

After a stint in the Stan Kenton band, Roberts became an active West Coast free-lancer in the mid-50s. His unique abilities were soon recognized by legendary arranger Nelson Riddle, himself a trombonist. Roberts also was employed extensively by Henry Mancini and other arrangers, and he appears on thousands of records and soundtracks.

George Roberts

In his dissertation on Roberts (included in the download), Jonathan Yeager says that the trombonist "has often been recognized as defining the role of the bass trombone in popular music and setting new standards for technical refinement and expressive possibilities of the instrument." Yeager quotes symphonic trombonist Bob Hughes as saying Roberts "makes probably the best sound on the instrument. Focused with real core, warm, fruity, perfectly weighted with great intonation. His feel and style are wonderfully relaxed and flowing."

Frank DeVol

This 1959 LP, the first of two that Roberts recorded for Columbia, is a showcase for those qualities. The sympathetic backing is by Frank DeVol, an arranger-composer who was equally well known as a comic actor.

The program is standards, one original by Roberts ("Feelin' Low") and a few children's tunes, including "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" - or as the band vocal has it, "Next Time Take the Train." (FYI - this title was based on advertising slogan for the Southern Pacific railroad. See the ironic Depression-era photograph by Dorothea Lange below.)

I don't know why Roberts is posing with a terra cotta donkey on the cover, unless it is an oblique commentary on the mulish quality of the instrument. 

Note (July 2024): The excellent mono sound has now been enhanced by ambient stereo.

LINK

"Toward Los Angeles, California" by Dorothea Lange (1937)