Julian Priester

• Genre: Fusion

About

The name Julian Priester has become synonymous with the jazz trombone. He’s one of the true innovators on the instrument, possessing a large, expressive tone and a wide palette of sounds that ranges from straight-ahead bebop to rich, evocative free improvisation. Never a member of the bebop orthodoxy, Priester played with the radically innovative Sun Ra Arkestra from 1954 to 1956. In 1958, he began playing with Max Roach, remaining in the great drummer’s camp for three years while releasing his solo debut, Keep Swingin’, in 1960. Priester’s next regular gig was with Herbie Hancock’s band at the dawn of Hancock’s Fusion period, moving on to record two Fusion albums of his own in the ‘70s. In 1996, he recorded trio work with saxophonist Sam Rivers and electronic accompaniment. Julian Priester’s boundless versatility has made him the consummate player on a much-neglected instrument.

- Noah Enelow