Trombiography

Hilary Jeffery has been playing the trombone since c.1983. What started out as a random decision to learn this instrument in place of the violin, slowly became an important focus for his artistic activity. Hilary’s principal teacher and mentor for trombone playing is James Fulkerson, with whom he studied between 1998 and 2000. The instrument provides Hilary with a daily focus and ground for his musical work. Hilary’s trombone playing encompasses improvised and notated music.

As an improvising trombonist he has played with many leading musicians in different settings around the world and particularly in the free music scenes of Amsterdam and Berlin. Hilary has ongoing projects with such artists as: Hayden Chisholm, Paul Dunmall, Alfredo Genovesi, Franz Hautzinger, Rozemarie Heggen, Catherine Christer Hennix, Patrick Pulsinger and Eric Thielemans including live concerts and recordings. His professional work has led to opportunities to work alongside some of the great musicians in improvised music such as Amelia Cuni, Hugh Davies, Tobias Delius, Paul Dunmall, Marco Eneidi, Wilbert de Joode, Keiji Haino, Tony Levin, Louis Moholo, Palle Mikkelborg, William Parker, Paul Rogers, Terje Rypdal, Elliot Sharp, Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Keith Tippett and Frances-Marie Uitti.

As an interpreter of composed music Hilary has played a wide variety of pieces by many composers including Louis Andriessen, William Bennett, John Cage, Philip Corner, Morton Feldman, James Fulkerson, Catherine Christer Hennix, Alvin Lucier, Daniel Matej, Giacinto Scelsi, James Tenny and Christian Wolff.

As an ensemble player Hilary has experience in a very wide range of groups from his early projects and collaborations in the UK such as Kreepa, Sand and Germ, to jazz / improvised recordings and concerts with Paul Dunmall Octet, Moksha Big Band, Keith Tippett´s Tapestry and Splitter Orchester to sessions and tours with Jimi Tenor, to contemporary ensemble playing with The Barton Workshop and Zeitkratzer.

Hilary has recorded two solo albums of trombone and electronics for FMR Records, and a complete CD of trombone music by Philip Corner with James Fulkerson for New World Records.

Through all this work in improvised and composed music Hilary has developed an individual voice as a trombonist, which often incorporates live electronics. This unique sound is best expressed in two fundamental ideas: Desert Trombone and Tromboscillator (see sub-menus for more information)

coming soon – chronological sound examples of Hilary Jeffery´s trombone sessions