Down the Rabbit Hole

Feb 21st Entry 15, Dumaine St, Trombone Shorty

Soundtrack of my Life
Feb 21st, Entry 15
Dumaine St- Trombone Shorty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwYAeUpH1NM

Trombone Shorty is one of my most favorite musical discovers because he bridges the gap between the modern jazz my father introduced me to and the bounce and pulse of the New Orleans sound that is just a bit too loud for his tastes. Trombone Shorty leads us somewhere in the middle where we can both appreciate the talent not only of Shorty but of the wide cast of talented musicians he often plays with. He can sing but he also wants to make you move and its hard to sit still when he's blowing away. He's also got a great story.

Here is a video of him at Lincoln Center, age 13 with Wynton Marsalis in 2000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9YUi3UhEPQ

Trombone Shorty, was born Troy Andrews, he hails from a musical New Orleans family and begin playing at the age of 4. His resume is impressive. He has played with legends, toured with Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz and even starred in the HBO series, Treme, which featured the neighborhood of Treme and the french quarter in the immediate aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Which by the way is a fabulous show for anyone who appreciates all music and its roots in the American culture. Andrews never seems to stop working...or caring. He is also an impressive philanthropist.

He established the The Trombone Shorty Foundation, which evolved from Andrews' Horns For Schools Project, a collaboration with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, which works to aid schools across New Orleans receive instruments donated by Andrews personally. The Foundation's mission statement reads: "to preserve and perpetuate the unique musical culture of New Orleans by passing down its traditions to future generations of musicians."

He is one of the latest in a long, long of fantastic musicians to come out of New Orleans but its hard not to hear something new and fresh in his sound, even when he's playing the old standards and second line jams. He also earns my respect for being an artist who always remembers where he came from and is constantly looking for ways to give back. The pandemic has hit New Orleans musicians particularly hard and he's stepped up once again to do what he can for those that are struggling as the bars and streets have gone quiet under closures and curfews. I encourage you to check him out, Trombome Shorty is def one of the bright stars.