The unusually gifted trombone of Erling Kroner has derived its unique stylistic qualities from inspirations by an amalgam of the great trombonists of yester-year, like Dicky Wells, Jack Teagarden, Lawrence Brown, Bill Harris and Quentin 'Butter' Jackson as well as modern players like Eddie Bert, Willie Dennis and, more than anyone, Jimmy Knepper, elegantly avoiding the sometimes devastating influence of J.J. Johnson.
His fluent, sinewy lines are rhythmically and melodically intriguing, a far cry from the run of the mill of many contemporary trombone players. Among his major musical influences he lists Eric Dolphy, Paul Bley, Thelonious Monk, Albert Ayler, Charles Mingus, Astor Piazzolla and Jimmy Knepper. His sound is extremely expressive, at times utilizing a vibrato inspired by the sound of the bandoneón in the TANGO (at the hands of greats like Astor Piazzolla, Aníbal Troilo and Dino Saluzzi). Like the old masters, you would never mistake his sound for somebody else's.