Urbie Green

Urbie Green earned widespread admiration among trombonists for his elegant phrasing and rich tonal quality, yet he devoted the bulk of his professional life to studio sessions. He first picked up the instrument at age twelve, then joined the orchestras of Tommy Reynolds, Bob Strong, and Frankie Carle while still in his teens. Between 1947 and 1950 he toured with Gene Krupa, later spending time in Woody Herman’s Third Herd. In 1953–1954 he participated in Buck Clayton’s celebrated jam sessions and maintained an intermittent association with Benny Goodman from 1955 through 1957. He appeared with Count Basie in 1963 and led the Tommy Dorsey ghost band for two years beginning in 1966, though his primary focus remained studio work throughout the decade.

As a leader, Green recorded regularly from the 1950s until 1963, issuing sessions on Blue Note, Vanguard, Bethlehem, and ABC-Paramount as well as dance-band dates for RCA and Command. After that period his jazz appearances became infrequent, though he returned to the studio for a pair of albums on CTI in 1976 and 1977.