Melba Liston

trombone, arrangement · 1926–1999 · Kansas City

Trombonist and arranger born in Kansas City. Hired by Gerald Wilson in 1943, then by Dizzy Gillespie in 1948, she played with Quincy Jones and arranged Uhuru Afrika (1961) for Randy Weston.

Profile not yet validated. Written by Jazzency, not yet proofread: dates and facts to be confirmed.

Styles

• Bebop (Minton's, Monroe's)
• Hard bop

Landmark tracks

• Blues Melba (1958)
• Uhuru Kwanza (1960)

Cited in 2 radio episodes

• Dedicated episode · Jan 31, 2021: Melba Liston : Portrait d’une pionnière du Jazz (59 Rue des Archives, TSF Jazz, in French)
• Feb 4, 2026: Le Umlaut Big Band fait revivre la musique de Melba Liston (Les Matins Jazz, TSF Jazz, in French)

Sources

• EN : Wikipedia, Melba Liston
• EN : Wikipedia, Melba Liston and Her 'Bones
• EN : Wikipedia, Uhuru Afrika

Facts checked against these pages (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). Method and licenses