Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition

Jiggs Whigham The British Trombone Society is proud to announce the Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition, which will take place on 11 June 2006, so there is no time to lose if you want to take part.

The judges will be none other than Jiggs Whigham himself and BTS Vice President Gordon Campbell, lead trombone of the BBC Radio Big Band. The first prize is an amazing King 2B Jiggs Whigham model trombone and the opportunity to perform a solo live on stage with the BBC Big Band at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham this July. Other prizes include lessons with the judges and visits to BBC Big Band sessions to see the great men at work.

The competition is to be hosted by Stuart Drummond and the music department at Uppingham School in Rutland. A whole day of events will begin with a jazz trombone workshop session lead by Jiggs and Gordon open to participants of any age. During the afternoon the competition will begin with the first round and the final will be held as a concert in the evening. There will also be plenty of opportunities to hear Jiggs and Gordon perform between contestants.

The competition is for players between the ages of 16 and 25, so the judges will be looking for a high standard of jazz trombone skills. We will be asking you to play a blues melody and a jazz standard and to be able to improvise on both these tunes.

The first prize trombone has been jointly donated by Jiggs Whigham himself and by Vincent Bach International, the sole importer of King trombones into the UK. John Packer Ltd., who will be on site with many trombones, has provided further support and accessories, including King and Vincent Bach instruments as played by Jiggs and Gordon.

Performance requirements:

  • 6-8 choruses of a blues standard of your choice (including melody)
  • 4-6 choruses of a non-blues standard of your choice (including melody)
Closing date for applications: 5 June 2006.

You must be a BTS member to take part. For more details, e-mail . If you wish to apply, please submit an application online or download and complete a postal application form.