As a young man, Whedon performed in Jazz groups in the New York area and in Europe. At the age of 16, he received the prestigious Great South Bay Jazz Festival Award for his trombone playing and was praised by Downbeat Magazine’s Nat Hentoff for his “lusty, inventive” trombone style. He has played in Salsa groups in Cuba, Ecuador, and Argentina.In recent years, Tony has combined poetry and jazz improvisation in ensembles at colleges and jazz festivals throughout Northern Vermont and the Eastern Townships of Quebec.