c. 1930—London, England

John Cooper, an artist of the East London Group, paints Hark to Trombone and Trumpet (see below image; public domain).

1930s and 40s—Bandleader-trombonists Tommy Dorsey (see facing image) and Glenn Miller popularize trombone as a solo instrument before huge audiences. Dorsey is especially known for his remarkable control and smooth legato. Leonard Feather later says, in reference to Dorsey, “By ’30 he was one of the most successful free-lance radio and recording artists on trombone, recognized both for his exceptional tone and legato style on ballads and for his fine solos on faster tempi” (Feather 185) (Dorsey photo public domain: wikimedia commons).