“Melba’s Tune”: An Examination of the Life and Work of Trombonist-Arranger Melba Liston

Abstract

Arranger and trombonist Melba Liston was called upon to work for such jazz legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Clark Terry, and Randy Weston. Not only was she praised as one of the best arrangers in jazz during her lifetime, but she was also a sought-after trombone player. However, her inclusion in the jazz historical narrative is limited. Liston worked behind the scenes as an arranger and faced extreme adversity as a Black woman in a male dominated profession. She was seen as a gimmick by audiences and treated as a caretaker and an object by her peers. Audiences, musicians, and now our historical narrative have viewed her as the exception to the rule of successful male jazz musicians. This is why an in-depth overview of her life and work is needed. This project compiles information about Melba Liston’s career and discography into an exhaustive document, analyzing articles, newspaper clippings, oral histories, research at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, research at Melba Liston’s Archive at the Black Music Research Center at Columbia College in Chicago, one interview with Geof Bradfield, Professor of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University, and several email correspondences with members of the Melba Liston Research Collective, Dianthe Spencer, Lisa Barg, and Sherrie Tucker. Findings include explication of Liston’s genius and analysis of her unique way of arranging for a wide range of ensembles and styles, her complex personality traits and how she used them to gain success, her aversion to the limelight, the many adversities she faced including abuse and lack of promotion, and the effects of the male-centric culture of jazz on Liston’s career and remembrance in jazz history. This thesis will include a biography, a musical analysis, and a selected discography of Melba Liston.