Every set my band High Summer plays includes at least one fully-improvised song — even Miriam’s lyrics. Here’s one from our recent ZenBarn gig.
Signal Boost: Lassus Trombone as a work of racism.
I just read a very important post by Doug Yeo, in which he discusses the history of Fillmore’s Lassus Trombone, a piece I remember playing in High School. At the time, I had no idea that it and its companion pieces were musical caricatures, direct descendants of the racist minstrel shows of the 19th century.
I’m sharing this link because I feel it’s extremely important that trombonists, especially white ones, reckon with this history. Even if you’ve never heard of Lassus Trombone, this post illustrates how pervasive systemic racism is, leaching into even something as fun as High School band. Take a few minutes to read it.
Be forewarned, there are racist depictions of African-Americans in this post.