Tyrone Jefferson

Tyrone Jefferson (born July 5, 1953) is an American trombonist, composer, arranger & producer. In the early 1970s Jefferson joined the U.S. army and completed a three-year tour in Kaiserslautern, Germany where he would meet saxophonist Norwood Poindexter. Poindexter] would invite Jefferson to join him as a trombonist during his Sunday sessions at a Frankfurt club. Jefferson developed his musical skills as he began working with a number of German bands across several genres. In 1976 he was given a chance by percussionist Johnny Griggs, to join James Brown on tour as director of his band, The J.B.'s. After his participation in the tour ended, he went on to collaborate with dozens of musicians, including James Brown,[4] rappers Public Enemy, hip-hop artist LL Cool J and Gospel artist Heather Headley. Tyrone Jefferson has performed in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan, Morocco and the Caribbean, and at venues such as the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, Greek Theatre and the Staples Center. He currently acts as executive director of A Sign of the Times of the Carolinas, a non- profit organization focused on reaching out to the community through music and educational programs that reflect the heritage of African Americans. In 2013 he was the recipient of the Harvey B. Gantt Center award.