Kalia Vandever, born in 1995, moved from Los Angeles to New York in 2013 to study trombone at the renowned Juilliard School. After earning their Bachelor of Music in 2017, they quickly made a name for themselves in New York’s jazz and improv scene as a trombonist who combines lyrical expression with an expressive approach on their instrument. They have performed with musicians of their generation as well as with some of jazz’s greats—such as Joel Ross, Fabian Almazan, and Maria Grand, or Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis.
Vandevers debut album “In Bloom” was released in 2019, and in 2023 they presented their solo album “We Fell in Turn.” It is particularly through their unaccompanied solo concerts that Vandever illustrates their aesthetic and technical approach. In doing so, they follow their own melodic line, taking the time to develop the lyrical qualities of the trombone, and experimenting with a style that highlights the eloquence of their phrasing. Using a looper and sampler, Vandever further broadens the trombone’s sonic spectrum into a multi-layered amalgam.
