Consider the "bone," as it's called among the jazz tribe. A vestige of ancient orchestras, fighting for survival amid competition from sultry saxophones, sweet clarinets and red-hot trumpets, the lumbering, awkward "bone" has always quavered near extinction. We're talking, of course, about the trombone, that odd, slippery, protuberant instrument. In its evolution, the trombone added counterpoint in the syncopations of New Orleans and heft in the swing orchestras, but with the be-bop demands of fast-fingered soloing and quick-shifting harmonies, the trombone ended up on the endangered instrument list.
Pity, though, is not one of the emotions that trombonist Steve Turre's "One 4 J" will inspire. Instead, it brings out the trombone's dignity and versatility. The CD is a tribute to J.J. Johnson, without whom the trombone might have been lost to jazz altogether. He was one of the few who adapted the trombone to be-bop's speed. He also composed melodies that showed off the trombone's tonal vibrancy, helping to make his '50s and '60s releases classics of post-bop.
For this tribute to Johnson, Turre brings in five of jazz's best trombonists to share the fun. Each song matches up two to six trombones. "Lament" puts four trombones together for a ballad, the instruments harmonizing across sweeping tonal ranges that additionally drop in modern flourishes to Johnson's original. The same trombone ensemble on "Kelo," though, does a funky take, with all the raspy timbre of the trombones raging away. The sassy "talking" mute on the takeout is the perfect ending to rounds of heartfelt solos from all the trombonists.