Little Melba and Her Big Trombone

Review
By Washington Parent Magazine

With snazzy style, Katheryn Russell-Brown tells the story of Melba Doretta Liston, a great American trombone artist who composed music and played with jazz masters like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Quincy Jones. Through the vigorous lines of his illustrations, Frank Morrison conveys the exuberant energy of the music itself, and Melba’s love of her “divine horn.” To perform, though, Melba had to deal with racism in the South and the sexism of male musicians. To help with the loneliness,  “Melba let the music in her head keep her company”  a demonstration of her creative power and passion to comfort, heal and inspire. This picture-book biography hits the perfect high notes for African-American History Month.