Abstract
This essay is a biographical study into the life and career of the Los Angeles bass trombonist, George Roberts. One of the goals of the study was to uncover what events transpired that slowly brought commercial and jazz arrangements and compositions involving bass trombone to change from a background role to a more lyrical and melodic voice. The primary source material is taken from three separate interviews with Roberts either in person or over the telephone that were tape recorded during 2002. These interviews were transcribed and edited for clarity and used in such an order as to follow a reasonable chronology of events in Roberts' life.Other source material included some published interviews and a survey, no more recent than 1988. The combination of the interviews and these printed sources enabled gaps in information regarding aspects of Roberts' life to be filled. Various websites were also consulted to learn birth and death dates of certain artists as well as background information on companies and organizational programs. Roberts' educational approach to the bass trombone and his contributions to the design of other manufacturers' models of the instrument are also examined.