Melba Liston
Melba Liston | |
|---|---|
Liston in 1960 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Melba Doretta Liston |
| Born | January 13, 1926 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 1999 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger, music educator |
| Instrument | Trombone |
| Years active | 1940s–1970s |
Melba Doretta Liston (January 13, 1926 – April 23, 1999) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and composer. Other than those playing in all-female bands, she was the first woman trombonist to play in big bands during the 1940s and 1960s, but as her career progressed she became better known as an arranger, particularly in partnership with pianist Randy Weston. Other major artists with whom she worked include Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, and Count Basie.