David Sager, a well-known jazz trombonist and chronicler of jazz history is a native of the Washington DC area. He comes from a musical family: His maternal grandmother, Edith Dorfman and her two brothers Leon and Nat Brusiloff were all professional musicians. In fact, Nat was Kate Smith’s very first radio conductor.

David studied trombone at Ithaca College with Allen Ostrander, the great bass trombonist of the New York Philharmonic. David later studied at Towson State University with John Melick and performed with the famous Towson Jazz Ensemble under the legendary Hank Levy.

Moving to New Orleans in 1983 David pursued his dream to play classic old-style jazz full-time. He soon began working with the great singer and stage personality Banu Gibson and her top-flight band. With Gibson’s group, David traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe, playing jazz festivals, symphony pops concerts and community concerts.

He also recorded the soundtrack for the film “Bix, an interpretation of a legend” and played a two-month engagement in Paris at the Opera Comique playing for the show “A la Recherché de Josephine” working with American pianist David Boeddinghaus.

In 2007, David received a Grammy nomination for his notes for the compact disc “King Oliver, off the record: the complete 1923 jazz band recordings.”

David and his wife Natalie left New Orleans in 1995 and returned to the Washington, DC area. He now works full-time as the curator for the Library of Congress’ National Jukebox and continues to play jazz festivals and local club gigs.