Trombone Crazy She Be

ennifer Wharton lives and breathes trombone. She even admits to having a dress adorned with them. The bass trombonist, born and raised in Northern California but a fixture on the NYC music scene, has been linked to the instrument since she was in middle school. Although she’s made her living performing in the pit bands of many successful Broadway musicals, Wharton has always kept one foot in the jazz world. She’s been a secret weapon in, on Sunnyside, produced by her husband and fellow trombonist John Fedchock. Rather than feature herself as the sole lead with a rhythm section, she opted to celebrate the instrument she loves by recording with—get ready— other trombonists. The result is not at all what you might expect. It’s melodic, it’s fun, and it even has a vocal on “Big Long Slidin’ Thing,” a song with lyrics as suggestive as its title.