Josh Torrey (he/him) is a freelance low brass artist and teacher based in Chicago. Raised in New York’s Capitol Region, he relocated to Chicago in the fall of 2012 following completion of a BMus in Jazz Studies degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. While attending U of I his primary teacher was Jim Pugh, and he also studied with and performed in ensembles directed by Chip McNeil, Chip Stephens, Dana Hall, and Tito Carillo. Josh also performed with U of I’s award winning 2011-2012 Jazz Trombone Ensemble at the 2012 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Arlington, VA (where he was also a finalist in the jazz solo competition), and at the 2012 International Trombone Festival in Paris, France.

Since moving to the city, Josh has cultivated an active performing career in both creative and commercial music. He freelances with a wide variety of projects from theater orchestras to party bands, and can be heard regularly with:

  • Blueshift Big Band, a big band performing all-new arrangements of jazz standards, originals, and video game music, in residence at Andy’s Jazz Club since 2023.

  • Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, a genre-bending big band led by composer John Dorhauer that freely blends the jazz tradition, avant-garde classical, and pop grooves.

  • The Sam Robinson Sextet, “…a formidable unit based on modern jazz tradition.” (Jeff Cebulski, chicagojazz.com”)

  • Spocket, an electrified fusion/prog funk project

  • The Party Faithful, one of Chicago’s top event and wedding bands.

  • Brooke and the Nice Things, a cover band specializing in vintage rhythm and blues, also named The Knot's 2019 Best of Weddings and Chicago Magazine's Best of Chicago—Best Cover Band.

Josh has also recorded on several albums by Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, Blueshift Big Band, the Sam Robinson Sextet, and Shout Section Big Band.

Other career highlights include touring domestically and internationally with the one and only Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (often playing Tommy’s solos), and playing trombone and tuba for the Chicago premiere of Tom Waits’ opera Woyzeck, produced by Chicago Fringe Opera.

A dedicated educator, Josh has been teaching lessons on trombone, bass trombone, euphonium/baritone, tuba and jazz improvisation at schools in suburban Chicago since 2014, and currently teaches low brass lessons at Hinsdale South High School, Riverside-Brookfield High School, and Lake Zurich High School. His students have been selected to be members of ILMEA District and All State Bands, the All Illinois Junior Band, and ensembles within the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Youth Symphony of DuPage, and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, with several students continuing on to collegiate music programs around the midwest.