The SJO Trombone Section

Jim Woolbright - Lead Bone
SJO Member Since 2007

When SJO founder and lead trombonist Henry Mason announced his intention to leave the band after 31 years and move to North Carolina, we were, needless to say, stunned! His would be a hard chair to fill. We went through an arduous audition process until we found our new lead trombonist. Mr Jim Woolbright!

Jim Woolbright is a native of Jonesboro, Ga. He attended the University of Georgia, graduating in '83 with a Bachelor's degree in music performance.

Jim can be seen around town at local restaurants and clubs honing his trade. He has performed with Lou Rawls, Frankie Valli, Percy Sledge, Sam Moore, (The) Shirelles, Impressions, Drifters, Vandellas, Box Tops, Legends of DooWop, Temptations Revue and others. Big band appearances include the bands of Don Miola, John Head, Cecil Welch, the Atlanta Seventeen and even a stint with the Sentimental Journey Orchestra in the mid 90's. He has performed classically with the Atlanta Pops, Augusta Opera and the Savannah Symphony and has toured with the American Wind Symphony and with the Atlanta Pops on their 2004 Taiwan tour. For 20+ years he was the trombonist for what is now called the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, performing most of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and many broadway shows such as Camelot, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story.

In his spare time Jim works as a full-time broadcast television engineer in Atlanta, and has a video consulting business. He currently lives near Stone Mountain with his wife Kim and dog Max.

Michelle Hedges - Third Bone
SJO Member Since 2009

Michelle Hedges graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance on Trombone. Her goal was to be as well rounded as possible so while there, aside from trombone, she studied piano, french horn, trumpet, euphonium and percussion. Since graduation she has played in musicals, jazz combos, jazz bands, latin bands, symphonies, concert bands, brass quintets, blues bands, dixieland bands, german bands, percussion ensembles, accompanied choirs and been a church musician. She has been giving private lessons since 1985 and in 2000 wrote a book on how to teach trombone called “Taking the Mystery Out of Teaching Trombone”.

Richard Fillmore-Bass Bone

SJO Member Since 2008

An official request has been sent to Richard about his musical education. All that is known for certain is that he plays a fine bass trombone and reads the music very well. It is also fairly certain that he is not related to either Millard or Mallard. We also know that he has a day gig as an engineer. Rumor has it that he used to be the bass trombonist for a fairly well known orchestra but that he decided that starvation was not an option he wished to pursue..as soon as possible we will replace rumor and conjecture with the facts.