Dr. Nelson Harrison’s Trombetto Tones

This is Pittsburgh’s Dr. Nelson Harrison playing his one-of-a-kind Trombetto.  Harrison describes it as “a compact brass instrument with four valves that plays a chromatic range of six octaves with a trombone mouthpiece.”  You can read more about Dr. Harrison and his extensive music career on his page within the Pittsbrugh Jazz Network site.

As luck would have it, I ran into him at the Afro-American Music Institute when I went to Homewood to record ringtones with their Boys Choir.  I first met Harrison in the early ’90s when I’d go to listen to music at the Crawford Grill in the Hill District.  I’d also see him playing out around town and working with young people in schools.  The night I was at AAMI, Pamela Johnson, co-founder of the institute, asked Nelson if he’d be willing to play a tone or two for the project.  He did, we’re fortunate to have them in the archive, and guess what?  They’re great!

Here are Nelson’s tones–Trombetto Blue and Trombetto’s Good Mood.  Many thanks, Nelson!