The Trombone Alternative Ska and Punk Trombonists of the 1990s. Origins, Don Drummond

This Blog aims to shed some light on a little researched topic of trombone history: The ska and punk trombonists of the 1990s. During a period between 1992 and 2005, horn bands rooted in the rock sub-genres of ska and punk enjoyed a surge in popularity, and inspired a generation of young musicians to pick up the trombone. I will introduce the roots of this trend, progression, and explore performance practices of some of the players who were prominent in this sub-genre. Some of the players to be interviewed in the research included Daryl Burch (formerly of Radio Noise), Jon Blondell (trombone soloist on “Wrong Way” by Sublime), Rick Faulkner (formerly of the Toasters and the New York Ska and Jazz Ensemble). I have found that this is unexplored territory in terms of trombone historical research, in spite of its impact on rock and popular music, and some of that has continued to extend into today. For younger trombonists, and those with interests beyond jazz and classical playing, this is a chance to explore different styles, different performance practices, and also affirmations of their own strengths as performers. For older trombonists, this is a chance to see the trombone musically used in a way that may not have otherwise been even considered.

During the 1960s while rock and roll was dominating the airwaves in the United States, new styles of music were arising in the Caribbean with the birth of ska. At the forefront of this was a trombonist by the name of Don Drummond. Drummond was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1932, and attended the Alpha Boys School, where he would also connect with many of the musicians who would eventually form the Skatalites. At the school, Drummond learned a number of different skills and trades, but eventually chose to make music his career on the trombone. By 1950, Drummond was performing with Eric Dean’s Orchestra, which was Jamaica’s top big band at the time. (Katz, 2013). Eventually, Drummond would perform with Sarah Vaughn and Dave Brubeck before joining the Skatalites at the Federal studio in Kingston. (Katz, 2013) It was from there where his career really took off as the Skatalites emerged on the Jamaican music scene in 1964.

Clement Dodd, who would later found Jamaica’s Studio One, had this to say when describing Don Drummond’s playing: “It was a pleasure listening to Don solo. His execution was mild’ he wasn’t blaring, he was a very neat and first-class soloist. (Katz, 2013.) Dr. Derek J. Molacek has observed that his tone is actually a little harsher, when compared with jazz and classical trombonists, and has almost a “blatty” quality. In classical or jazz, this sound is typically not desirable, but in ska and the ska-punk bands that followed, this was more of a defining characteristic as bands tend to be louder, and horns have to overcompensate for volume either due to an unbalanced rhythm section, and either a lack of or inefficient micing for the horn section.

Compositionally simple, the music of the Skatalites typically consisted of a melody/head like a jazz chart, open solo section, and a head out. Unlike a jazz chart, the music of the Skatalites was harmonically simple, with no more than maybe a couple of chord changes in a chart. “Confucious,” is played entirely over a C minor vamp. Drummond’s solo over that piece utilizes the C minor pentatonic scale almost exclusively. Glissandos in bars 10 and 11 stand out, and are the time that they are used within the first sixteen bars. Drummond also emphasizes natural slurs, particularly between the G and F in the upper register.

This solo also demonstrates the extent of his range, topping out at the C one octave above middle C. Solos like these from Don Drummond would set the mold for what trombonists would follow within the genre over the course of the next thirty years. As Dodd observed, the solo is very well executed: the phrasing is neatly stated, and it has a gradual build up towards a more technical, dramatic climax.

As a person, Drummond himself was an extremely volatile individual and was often incarcerated. (Katz, 2013.) On New Years Day, Drummond was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Anita Mafhood, and was sent to the Bellevue Insane Asylum, where he died four years later at the age of 37. (Katz, 2013.) His impact on the music would live on, and serve as an inspiration for ska, punk, and reggae artists around the world for the next fifty years.