Last updated: 11 hours ago
A fine section trombonist, Melba Liston achieved her greatest fame as an arranger, particularly for her projects with <a href="spotify:artist:6Cx6WhEWHJWPeiFspDCwDR">Randy Weston</a>. She grew up in California and played with <a href="spotify:artist:2gSkBqzo1VXaWnAyjhoYk7">Gerald Wilson's Orchestra</a> starting in 1943. Her most notable recording as a soloist was with <a href="spotify:artist:3NUsiT2JSyaWAnWaXxDzhQ">Dexter Gordon</a> in 1947. Liston worked with <a href="spotify:artist:2jFZlvIea42ZvcCw4OeEdA">Count Basie</a> (1948-1949), <a href="spotify:artist:5RzjqfPS0Bu4bUMkyNNDpn">Dizzy Gillespie</a>'s big band (1949-1950), and backed <a href="spotify:artist:1YzCsTRb22dQkh9lghPIrp">Billie Holiday</a>, but then spent a few years outside of music. She toured with and wrote for <a href="spotify:artist:5RzjqfPS0Bu4bUMkyNNDpn">Dizzy Gillespie</a>'s orchestra (1956-1957) and visited Europe with <a href="spotify:artist:3rxIQc9kWT6Ueg4BhnOwRK">Quincy Jones</a>' big band (1959), staying with that orchestra into 1961. Liston then became a freelance arranger, working on sessions led by <a href="spotify:artist:6Cx6WhEWHJWPeiFspDCwDR">Weston</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:52cM6vrM4MJ8g4H7Ibo5fZ">Johnny Griffin</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:23i8EixXKG0EWGRCfHlUGN">Milt Jackson</a>, writing for the studios, teaching, and occasionally playing. A serious stroke confined her to a wheelchair from 1985 onward, but Liston still wrote for several latter-day <a href="spotify:artist:6Cx6WhEWHJWPeiFspDCwDR">Randy Weston</a> projects in the years prior to her death on April 23, 1999. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
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