Hi — I'm Kevin Christensen, a professional trombone player based in Copenhagen, and the person behind Trombone Geek.

I started playing the trombone at 9, mostly because my best friend wanted to join the school band. From there it was marching band, high school, and eventually jazz studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (Koninklijk Conservatorium) and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC) in Copenhagen. I've been playing professionally for over 25 years, toured in 20+ countries across three continents, and been lucky enough to share stages and studios with some of the biggest names in jazz.

I love playing the trombone. Most of the time.

This site exists because I got tired of trombone "advice" written by people who clearly had never put a horn to their face. Everything here comes from someone who actually plays for a living.

What I play

For the gear-curious — and because it's fair that you know my reference point when I'm writing about equipment:

• Daily driver: Bach LT16M with a Wedge 7C mouthpiece
• Low work / 3rd trombone in a big band: Bach 36 - I have two, with and without a trigger

That's the setup my ears and opinions are calibrated to. When I review other horns and mouthpieces, that's the baseline I'm comparing against.

My background as a player

My playing is documented in a number of places you can verify independently:

• • Discogs — discogs.com/artist/1003303-Kevin-Christensen
  • MusicBrainz — musicbrainz.org/artist/15e71282-54c2-4e7e-8ac9-c992ea266abc
  • Royal Danish Library — recordings in the national collection

Selected recordings

International guest artists with the Danish Radio Big Band:

• Robben Ford — When Jazz Meets Blues
• Curtis Stigers — One More For The Road (Concord)
• Richard Bona — Te Mesia
• Sinne Eeg — We've Just Begun (Stunt) — reviewed in All About Jazz

Danish & original projects with the DR Big Band:

• The Danish Radio Big Band — Tributes (ACT Music)
• Mathias Heise — The Beast (Giant Sheep Music)
• Peter Jensen — Crystal Palace and Stand On Your Feet and Fight (ILK Music)
• Palle Mikkelborg — XL-LX (Storyville)
• Dennis Mackrel — Jazzin' Around Christmas (Storyville)
• Basco & DR Big Band — Live at DR Byen
• Szhirley — The James Bond Classics (EMI)
• Cirkus Summarum series (2010–2013)

Other projects:

• Django Bates' Lost Marble — Spring Is Here (Shall We Dance?) — reviewed in All About Jazz
• Adam Nussbaum / Claus Waidtløw / Aarhus Jazz Orchestra — Apples for Adam
• Little Red Big Bang (ILK Music)
• Magnus Thuelund Melody Project Quintet — Change Of Time (Calibrated)
• Borderline Ensemble — Beware
• Sean Needham — Time Is A Friend
• Sylvester Larsen — Shadows

Why I started Trombone Geek

Between gigs, rehearsals, and teaching, I've spent years answering the same questions from students and colleagues: Which mouthpiece should I try? Is this horn worth the money? What's the best mute for a quiet apartment? Trombone Geek is where I put those answers in writing — once, properly, with the reasoning shown.

How I write about gear

I've been playing trombone professionally for over two decades, which means I've owned, borrowed, tried, and gigged on a lot of equipment — horns, mouthpieces, mutes, cases, stands, slide treatments, you name it. That hands-on history is the foundation of what I write here.

But I want to be straight with you: I haven't personally tested every single product mentioned on this site. No one has. New models come out constantly, and honestly, nobody needs me to buy ten beginner horns just to compare them. So here's how I actually approach it:

• When I've played it, I say so — and you'll get my real impressions, including the things I didn't like.
• When I haven't played it personally, I lean on what I do have: decades of knowing how this family of horns / mouthpieces / mutes tends to behave, manufacturer specs, conversations with colleagues who have played it, and the wider reputation of the maker. I try to make it clear when that's the basis.
• Brands don't pay to appear here. If a link is an affiliate link, it's disclosed, and it never changes what I recommend.
• One size never fits all. A great horn for a lead player is often the wrong horn for a classical student. I try to frame recommendations around who something suits, not declare universal winners.
• Tell me when I'm wrong. If you've played something and your experience differs from mine — or I've simply got a fact wrong — email me. I'll update the article and credit you if you'd like.

My other projects

Between gigs, I build independent web projects as a solopreneur — including Yardbird, GetMusicTools, and EuroToolKit. Full portfolio: kevinchristensen.dk.

Get in touch

Send me a message here if you have questions or suggestions

— Kevin