Carlos Malcolm ‘a gift to Jamaica and the world’ - Renowned trombonist and bandleader dies at 91

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness and regret at the passing of musical giant, Carlos Malcolm, and noted that his contribution will never be forgotten. Malcolm died at his home in Palm Bay, Florida, on May 6. He was 91.

 “It is with great regret I note the passing of yet another of Jamaica's musical giants, trombonist of renown, bandleader, and musical ambassador, Carlos Malcolm,” Minister Grange stated in a press release.

She continued, “Carlos was a pioneer who helped define the sound of Jamaican music as it stepped onto the world stage. As leader of the Carlos Malcolm Afro-Jamaican Rhythms, he blended jazz, mento, calypso, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms with sophistication and flair.”

Grange noted that his arrangements “gave Jamaican music a new elegance” in the 1960s, when he toured internationally and introduced audiences from New York to London to the richness of the island’s sound.

“He was equally at home in a jazz club, a hotel ballroom, or backing some of Jamaica’s greatest vocalists. His music was a gift to Jamaica and to the world, and his contribution to our cultural heritage will never be forgotten,” she said.

Carlos Malcolm was born in Colón, Panama on November 10, 1934, to Jamaican parents and grew up in Kingston. His Wikipedia bio states that his father, Wilfred Malcolm, went to Panama and worked as a bookkeeper in the Panama Canal Zone. He became a prominent businessman and established homes in both countries and sent his five children back to Jamaica to be educated. Wilfred Malcolm was an Anglican church choir director for many years and he also played trombone in the Jazz Aristocrats, a Panamanian Dixieland band for which he was manager. He and his friends also brought to Panama world-class Black-American artistes in the performing arts and young Carlos would overhear conversations and laughter from guests, including celebrated artistes Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Hazel Scott–Powell,  as they came to late dinners after recitals at a local theatre.

Wilfred Malcolm had quite a collection of eclectic music that extended from Bach and Handel to Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Reflecting upon this period of his life, Malcolm often mused that he probably "subliminally osmosed" the musical styles and arranging formats of various composers as he whistled back at the music wafting through the house every evening his father came home. Malcolm's father taught him to play the trombone. He also recognised Malcolm's natural gift for creating and arranging music and supported his son's desire to pursue an education in the arts. Malcolm held bachelor of arts degrees in English and music from the Union Institute & University located in Cincinnati, Ohio.   

He studied music at the Conservatory of Music in Panama. From the late 1950s, Carlos Malcolm worked professionally as a musician in conjunction with his "other job" as a photo journalist with the West Indian Review magazine in Kingston. His first music "gigs" were with the Vivian Hall All Stars which featured Don Drummond on trombone. Malcolm and Drummond became good friends and quite often would practise the trombone together.

“Carlos believed in discipline, excellence, and using music to represent Jamaica with pride. Through his band and his teaching, he shaped generations of musicians who carried his influence forward. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and to the many musicians he inspired,” Grange concluded.