Versatile trombonist Tom Brantley was born in 1970 in South Louisiana surrounded by music and musicians (his parents were both band directors) and he was steadily exposed to a wide array of styles, including classical, jazz, Latin, soul, pop, rock, country, bluegrass, and Cajun. With trombone players running in his family for at least two previous generations, it was more than natural for Brantley to take up the instrument, and he studied it along with jazz at the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of North Texas, gaining degrees from both. While still a graduate student at the University of North Texas, Brantley played with the ensemble One O'Clock Lab Band, touring and recording with the group through five albums. Later, while teaching at the same University of North Texas, he played with Rhythm & Brass, appearing with them on several recordings, including Ellington Explorations (1998), Sitting in an English Garden (2001), and Inside the Blue Suitcase (2005). He also recorded with the chamber group Confluences, whose self-titled debut album appeared in 2004, and with trumpeter Jay Coble on another album project. Brantley's first solo album, Boneyard, appeared in 2009 from Summit Records. ~ Steve Leggett