Among some of the numerous successful musical acts that have emerged from New Orleans over the years, one of the most famous has to be Trombone Shorty, who along with his backup band is bringing jazz music to the mainstream once again.
Trombone Shorty:
Troy Andrews, or Trombone Shorty, was introduced to music at an early age and was soon performing with musicians far older than him. He turned professional at just the age of five, and chose the trombone as his primary instrument, though he knows how to play the trumpets and drums as well. His first main venture into the music industry was as a member of the Stooges Brass Band, which he joined as a teenager.
The group was formed in 1996, and started creating a stir in the jazz scene, by their bold, experimental music. The group became famous for incorporating elements from R&B, funk and hip hop into their particular jazzy style of music.
As Andrew’s reputation as a musician grew, he was invited to collaborate on projects with various artists. He appeared in concerts with the renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and followed that up with performances with rock bands Green Day and U2.
Andrew’s has released nine studio albums in his career. The last three were released by Verve Records and have gone on to be major successes. His first Verve Records venture, “Backatown” became a number one hit on the jazz charts, and remained at the top for nine weeks. It was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Since then he has released two more successful albums, “For True” (2011) and “Say That to Say This” (2013).
Orleans Avenue:
Orleans Avenue is Trombone Shorty’s backup band, with whom he recorded the album “Orleans & Claiborne” in 2005. Since 2009, Shorty has started touring with the band, under the moniker Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.
A six member outfit, the band features Shorty as the front man, as he plays the trombone and trumpets and performs lead vocals. With Michael “Bass” Ballard on the bass guitar, Pete Murano on guitars, Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax, Tim McFatter on tenor sax and Joey Peebles on drums, the band comprises a formidable line up of talented jazz musicians.
The band has become one of the leading jazz acts in the country, a notion highlighted by the fact that they have headlined the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival four times and in 2012 performed at the White House as part of the Black History Month celebrations.
So buy tickets to the show and support the band, as they try to bring jazz music to the mainstream once again, with their own blend of music, which fuses classical jazz with other contemporary genres.