Trombone
Shorty is the stage name of Troy Andrews, one that makes sense when you see
pictures of him as a four-year old playing the trombone.
With that
early start, he has had a long career already at 31, with a lot of backing and
session work. I recently got to see him as himself, opening for the Red Hot
Chili Peppers.
The show
was a party, perhaps reflecting his New Orleans jazz roots. The backing band had
two saxophones, including one baritone - something that I haven't seen for a
while - and they all worked together well. Little details added to the sense of
fun, like a pair of red sneakers working their way across the stage (not on
Andrews himself) or the laughs between the band members. When they are having a
good time, it spreads to the audience.
Speaking of
the audience, I was pleased to see that they seemed to recognize and respond to
many of the numbers; not all opening bands get that.
A new
album, Parking Lot Symphony, will be available on April 28th, but for
now a look at Trombone Shorty's own discography will show team-ups with Ledisi,
Jeff Beck, and Lenny Kravitz, among others. If you look for him appearing on
other people's albums, you will be finding new names for a while.
But as much
as he is helpful to other musicians, and able to build a career solely on that,
Trombone Shorty is great at center stage. Watch him funk it up if you get a
chance.
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