Hear one of just a handful of early sound recordings featuring the trombone on this 1898 wax cylinder.   It is not clear why early recordings of trombone were so uncommon.   As with most horn instruments, it was loud enough to produce a clear recording.   Perhaps, when heard on phonographs of the day the trombone's baritone-register sounded more "thinly", with fewer audible harmonics, than the more common cornet records.   Or maybe its pitch-slide design did not work well with the relatively primitive speed regulators on most phonographs.

Whatever the case, this fine recording was one of eight recorded by Nicholas Scholl for Edison.   Two others were recorded five years later by cornetist Leo Zimmerman.   The only other trombone solo produced by Edison was a single somewhat experimental recording produced by a Mr. Groeble in 1889.