Tyrone Hill, 58, trombonist with Sun Ra

Tyrone Hill, 58, of North Philadelphia, a powerful trombonist whose expressive big sound broke out of the Sun Ra Arkestra pack for three decades, died of heart failure March 11 at his aunt's home in East Mount Airy following the burial of his mother.

Born in North Philadelphia and raised around 17th and York Streets, Mr. Hill started playing the trombone in music class at Gillespie Middle School. He listened to saxophonist John Coltrane jamming with musicians such as Sherman Ferguson and Middie Middleton on the street in his neighborhood.

After graduating in 1966 from Benjamin Franklin High School, Mr. Hill studied the trombone for four years at the former Combs School of Music in Chestnut Hill.

"He had one semester before he graduated, and he quit to play in bands," said sister Liz Hicks. "Our mother was so mad at him."

Mr. Hill played with the Uptown Theater Orchestra and several rhythm and blues, jazz and pop bands in Philadelphia and New York until 1970.

He hooked up with singer Billy Paul, who won a Grammy for "Me and Mrs. Jones" in 1972.

"Tyrone was Billy Paul's music director for eight years," his sister said. "He was the only member of Billy's band to tour Europe with him."

In the late 1970s, Mr. Hill joined the Sun Ra Arkestra - often consisting of up to 20 players and dancers, led by colorful organist Sun Ra.

The Sun Ra Arkestra, which was formed in the late 1950s, combined big-band sounds with flavors from Africa, Latin America, avant-garde indie-rock, space jam and free jazz. For nearly a half-century the Arkestra performed all over the world and in dozens of local venues, including the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Franklin Institute, and as part of the Mellon Jazz Festival.

"I never heard music like that before. They played for six hours straight through. No breaks. It was unreal," Mr. Hill said in a 2000 interview about his first performance with Sun Ra, who had moved to Germantown from New York in 1969.

Mr. Hill often led the band in songs such as "Discipline 27-II." He played the trombone on more than 40 albums with the Sun Ra Arkestra and recorded two albums of his own - Out of the Box (1997) and Soul-Etude (1999) - released on the Creative Improvised Music Projects label.

"Tyrone's sound boosted mine, and the sum of my trumpet and his trombone ended up greater than the total of those two instruments," said Arkestra trumpeter Fred Adams.

After Sun Ra died in 1993, he bequeathed his Germantown home on Morton Street to the band.

Although things slowed down after the death of Sun Ra, the Arkestra still plays several times a month. The group practices in the house on Morton Street, where four members live.

"We called Tyrone 'Pound of Plenty' because of his huge sound," said saxophonist Marshall Allen, director of the Sun Ra Arkestra. "He played his last gig about a month before he left this planet. He was supposed to play in New York with us this week. Sun Ra Arkestra will have 15 players at his memorial service."

Outside the jazz world, Mr. Hill was "a diehard Eagles fan," he said in a 2004 Philadelphia Daily News article. "I just got back from touring Europe with the Sun Ra Arkestra and ran into some Eagles fans in Barcelona. They saw my Phillies cap."

Mr. Hill played "Fly Eagles Fly" for them.

During the 2003 Eagles playoffs, "some tailgaters heard me playing the fight song and hired me to play for their party. They fed me ribs and gave me some beer. That felt good," he told the Daily News.

Mr. Hill also played several times in the Mummers Parade.

In addition to his sister, Mr. Hill is survived by two brothers.

A musical memorial service with the Sun Ra Arkestra will be held at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Church of the Advocate, 1801 W. Diamond St. Burial was private.

Donations may be sent to Church of the Advocate, c/o Tyrone Hill Memorial, 1801 W. Diamond St., Philadelphia 19121-1509.