“You play the trombone, that must be .... interesting.”

Trombone, a conversation stopper every time.

20 years ago, I was not a member of the North Carolina Symphony. I played in a few regional orchestras up North (i.e., Delaware Symphony, Reading Symphony and the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra) and free-lanced my brains out. I mean that literally. For 15 years I drove between 25 and 35,000 miles a year; played with so many different groups that I gave up counting the number of gigs - somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 gigs during those 15 years. Circus, Salsa, Big Band, avant-garde (can you imagine trombonists in tights in the middle of a ballet troupe ? don’t), chamber, graduations, churches, weddings (usually happy), funerals (usually not), background music at a gynecologist’s convention (picking the music was really tricky); you name it, I played it.

The way it goes is you get a call or e-mail - “Can you make these rehearsals and concert?” One usually responds, “Probably, how much does it pay?”

So it went when I received a call to play 2nd trombone with the Kennett Symphony Orchestra. It is located in Kennett Square, PA, the mushroom capitol of the United States! “Who is playing 1st trombone?” I asked. “Some old board member - just grin and bear it” responded the contractor, a friend of mine. Fine, the pay is the same.

So, I walk into the Kennett Square High School auditorium somewhere around 1990, where the rehearsals and concerts are held and see a man playing trombone on stage -, fit, late 50’s I thought. Hmm, sounds okay - a little out of shape, but some really good stuff there. Trust me, that is not always the case in many of the smaller regional orchestras. I introduce myself and he tells me his name is Bob Rada. One thing I notice right away is his trombone - silver and perhaps one of the most beautiful trombones I have ever seen.

“So, Bob,” I said to be friendly (not my finest selling point as a free-lancer), “what is the story with your horn?”

“I had this Conn 8H custom made for me when I was Principal Trombone with the Chicago Symphony,” he replied.

“Uhhh...” (mouth open) I replied smoothly, “when was that?”

“1952, I was hired by Reiner and left the orchestra in 1961.”

My mind immediately goes to some of the Chicago Symphony’s 1958-9 recordings that I have - still being reissued, like Strauss, Ein Heldenleben, or Prokoviev, Alexander Nevsky. This is the guy! The sound I heard on the recordings.

“Why did you leave?” I asked him, thinking this all a bit surreal.

“Well, my wife’s family didn’t really think much of musicians, so they offered me a real job.” (the mind boggles)

“Okay, I’ll bite, what do you do now?”

“A bit of this and that, I own some different companies, I sell corporate jets - I have the license to sell British Aerospace jets here in the states, I am building an airport in the Philippines, a fueling company for aviation...you know, that sort of thing.”

No, I don’t know, but you can bet that I am going to be listening really, really hard. Just a wee bit of talent there - yikes!

“Soon after I joined the symphony in 1952, I went over to the Conn factory along with Arnold Jacobs (The Tuba - of the Chicago Symphony and a legend both for his playing and his pedagogy) and told them what I wanted - lightweight slide, thin bell gauge and silver plated. This is what they made for me. I put away for almost 20 years after I quit the orchestra.” (which accounts for its great condition)

“Can I try it?” I asked Bob.

“Sure.”

Ooh baby, what a core to the sound. Not going to make the woodwinds happy (who often sit in front of the low brass) - way too much “zing.” (translation - the edge of the sound will remove varnish from wood) “The response is truly amazing,” I told him. “Are you ever going to sell it?” I asked.

“Not for a while,” he responded. “I am still having fun.” “Get a real job” he said to me, “and I’ll consider selling it to you in a few years.”

Fast forward to spring of 2009, while on tour in Hilton Head, SC with the North Carolina Symphony. Who comes waltzing up to the stage before the concert but Bob Rada - who owns a “little” house there. I introduced him to many of the brass players in the symphony and we go out for a drink afterwards.

“Bob,” I ask him after a drink (or two), “are you still going to sell me that horn?”

“Soon.”

Come June, I get a call from Bob. He is turning 80 and just can’t read the music very well anymore. Some eye trouble. “It’s time,” he says. We settle on a price much less than he could have sold it for on the open market. “I want it to be used by a player - not some rich brat or sent to Japan.”

So, the next day, I drove my venerable 1994 Saturn (soon to be a collectors item!) down to South Carolina and picked it up. Not something you want in the post!

So, if you happen to look towards the back of the orchestra and notice a very bright silver trombone - you will now know a bit of her history. I don’t use it all the time - she is a grand old lady, and has to be treated with respect, but she still has the right stuff.