RealTracks Artist Bio: Dennis Esson

Versatile Vancouver trombonist Dennis Esson is best-known as a Jazz musician and instructor, but his credits include Pop and Rock groups such as Stephen Fearing, The Paperboys, Buddy Miles, The Salteens, and Veda Hille.

As a first-call player, Dennis has played for countless jingles, movie and cartoon soundtracks, and live theatre shows. He is a frequent soloist on CBC radio, and the lead trombone with the Vancouver Ensemble of Improvisation (VEJI), Orquesta Goma Dura, Jill Townsend Big Band, Hard Rubber Orchestra, the Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra, and the RazzMaJazz Dixieland band. Other performance credits include appearances with The Lionel Hampton Jazz Orchestra, Tommy Banks Orchestra, Kenny Wheeler, Slide Hampton, Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, Ray Charles, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Jack Jones, Natalie Cole, Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick, Mitzi Gaynor, The Temptations, Harry Connick Jr., Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Barry Manilow, Henry Cuesta and the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Muhal Richard Abrams, Marvin Stamm, Brass Roots, Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, Phil Woods, Bud Shank, Eddie Daniels, and David Foster.

Dennis appears on recordings with The Mike Herriot Sextet, Vancouver Ensemble of Improvisation (VEJI), Banff Jazz Orchestra, Brass Roots, Shango Ashe, Stephen Fearing, Mart Kenney, Hard Rubber Orchestra, Buddy Miles, Dave Robbins Sextet, Veda Hille, Forever Swing Cast Recording, Jill Townsend Big Band, The Paperboys, Patsy Goto, Karin Plato, and with Hugh Fraser's Bonehenge ensemble.

A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Dennis teaches Jazz Trombone at Capilano College. He is also a much-travelled adjudicator and clinician.

Dennis Esson's web site is at http://dennisesson.com/