Trombonist Bob Enevoldsen Dies

Trombonist Bob Enevoldsen died Nov. 19 at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Woodland Hills, Calif. at age 85. He was a West Coast musician who logged hours with Shelly Manne, Bobby Troup and Terry Gibbs in the 1950s, and also performed with Art Pepper, Shorty Rodgers, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Holman and Jack Sheldon.

Enevoldsen was born Jan. 11, 1920 in Billings, Mont. to a violinist father who conducted at silent movie theaters. Enevoldsen began playing violin at age five. He later received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana, in 1942, and went on to play in the Army Air Forces band during World War II. He then joined a big band in Salt Lake City in 1946 as a tenor saxophonist, before soon discovering trombone. In addition to his recognized talent on both trombone and saxophone, he was also a noted bassist.

When he moved to Los Angeles in 1951, he had mostly only been a teacher but soon became a sought-after studio musician. Throughout his life, most of his income came from his work as a studio musician for both television and film.

Originally Published December 14, 2005