Melba Liston
Melba Doretta Liston (January 13, 1926 – April 23, 1999) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and composer. Other than those playing in all-female bands, she was the first woman trombonist to play in big bands during the 1940s and 1960s, but as her career progressed she became better known as an arranger, particularly in partnership with pianist Randy Weston. Other major artists with whom she worked include Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, and Count Basie. |
Birth and Death Data: Born (Kansas City (largest city in State of Missouri, United States)), Died April 23, 1999 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1946 - 1953
Roles Represented in DAHR: trombone, arranger, vocalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusive | OR-159-A | 10-in. | 12/31/1951 | Groovin' high | Artists vary | instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Excelsior | OR-159-B | 10-in. | 12/31/1951 | I've got a right to sing the blues | Artists vary | instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 392 | 10-in. | 4/6/1946 | Oo-wee walkie talkie | Gerald Wilson Orchestra ; Dinah Washington | instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 9922 | 10-in. | 1953 | Unlucky man | Mel Walker | arranger, instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 9923 | 10-in. | 1953 | My baby | Mel Walker | arranger, instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 9924 | 10-in. | 1952 | Another sad night | Mel Walker | arranger, instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 9925 | 10-in. | 1953 | Feelin' mighty lonesome | Mel Walker | arranger, instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 9936 | 10-in. | 1953 | You passed by | Mel Walker | arranger, instrumentalist, trombone | ||
| Mercury | 9938 | 10-in. | 1953 | I'd like to make you mine | Melba Liston ; Mel Walker | vocalist, arranger, instrumentalist, trombone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Liston, Melba," accessed January 5, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/404478.
Liston, Melba. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 5, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/404478.
"Liston, Melba." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 5 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Discogs: Melba Liston
Allmusic: Melba Liston
Grove: Melba Liston
IMDb: Melba Liston
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Liston, Melba - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no91017680
Wikidata: Melba Liston - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q274146
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/42025880
MusicBrainz: Melba Liston - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/90b5459b-6f1a-4dc7-a27a-9b26acda1ea3
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/288982 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/288982
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