Jennifer Wharton is a bass trombonist based in New York City. Though getting her start classically, she has spread her roots to jazz, commercial, chamber, and Broadway music.

Wharton leads the trombone-forward ensemble Bonegasm, commissioning works from jazz heavyweights and newcomers. She was awarded grants by Jazz Road Foundation and Chamber Music America for the Grit & Grace (Sunnyside 2023), and the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theater for Bonegasm’s sophomore album, Not A Novelty (Sunnyside 2021). Downbeat Magazine called the band “Trombone Ecstasy.”

Wharton has held positions on Broadway at The Great Gatsby, Sweeney Todd, Paradise Square, West Side Story, King Kong, Beautiful, Porgy and Bess, Jekyll and Hyde, Scandalous, Wonderland, 9 to 5 and Curtains, as well as performing as a substitute. She has won the Radio City Christmas Spectacular bass trombone chair six times.

In addition to being an in-demand freelancer, Wharton is an active studio musician. She can be heard on shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Schmigadoon, Vivo, and Jerry Seinfeld at The Beacon, and commercials including The Incredibles 2, and The Greatest Showman. She has also been on over 40 big band recordings since 2009.

She is a member of GRAMMY-nominated ensembles: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Alan Ferber Big Band, and the Terraza Big Band. She also performed on the GRAMMY-nominated cast albums for The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess, 9 to 5 The Musical and Curtains The Musical, as well as the GRAMMY-winning recording of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

Wharton has performed, toured and/or recorded with groups including the New York City Ballet, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Birdland Big Band, Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, and Woody Herman Orchestra.

She is an XO Professional Brass artist and plays their 1240-LT bass trombone.