MSU Jazz Trombones: Spartan Strong

Michael Dease is one of the Giants of the trombone. I was very fortunate to have played with JJ Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Slide Hampton, Al Grey, the other Giants of that instrument.
Jimmy Heath, Legendary Saxophonist & NEA Jazz Master

Much in the way Michael Dease has defined the state-of-the-art for jazz trombone over the last two decades, his effectiveness in shaping the next generation of players also requires inspired superlatives. A 2025 Guggenheim Fellow, and Distinguished Professor in Rodney Whitaker's renowned Jazz Department at Michigan State University, Dease has been central to fostering MSU's reputation as a thriving center of creative musical development. Spartan Strong, while possibly implying a football cheer, in this case reflects the powerful musical instincts, exhilarating orchestrations, and uninhibited improvisational prowess of these 18 former & present members of his teaching studio. Along with the rhythm section of Xavier Davis, Jared Beckstead-Craan, and Keith Hall, the ensemble tackles arrangements of several originals, and old & new standards, while stylistically spanning Afro-Cuban grooves, lush trombone choir passages, and unabashed swing. The future, as witnessed here, is in fine hands.

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