Little Melba and Her Big Trombone

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone

By Katheryn Russell-Brown, Illustrated by Frank Morrison

Hardcover book

40 pages

Ages 6-10 years

Beats and rhythms danced in her head - from the plink of a guitar to the thrum-thrum of a drum. Then at age seven she fell in love with a big, shiny trombone and quickly taught herself to play. By the time Melba was a teenager, her extraordinary gift for music led her to the world of jazz. She joined a band led by trumpeter Gerald Wilson and toured the country. Overcoming obstacles of race and gender, Melba became a famed trombone player, composer, and arranger, creating music with practically all the jazz giants of the twentieth century.

Brimming with exuberance and the joy of making muisc, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone is a lively tribute to a trailblazing musician and a great unsung hero of jazz. The book includes an afterword about Melba Doretta Liston and selected discography.