Our next “2020 Hindsight” band needs no introduction. In fact, you would have to be living under a rock to not know about these guys–they are that popular just about everywhere these days. I’m talking about none other than Trombone Shorty and the Orleans Avenue. This band is one of the fastest rising musical entertainment acts that I’ve ever seen–and they are well worth the fanfare.

Troy Andrews (aka Trombone Shorty) hails from the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. With all the accolades, it’s amazing to me that he is still so young (born 1986), but then again, he was starting to play live at the age of four and was a brass bandleader at age six! His musical experience started so much earlier than most, it is no wonder he turned out to be so incredible. The infamous “Shorty” moniker comes from his youth, when he appeared so much smaller than his trombone. I guess the name really stuck!

While there are many things we can talk about with regard to Trombone Shorty’s career, I’d like to focus on his band. They released their first album, Backatown, in 2010. It ended up going to #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart and stayed there for 9 weeks, with good reason. The tracks were a more new school approach to the New Orleans sound, often featuring the heavy electric guitar power chords underneath the horn section, which really fill out the harmonies. The compositions are all very funky, but they also have a nice musical element to them, which makes them pleasing even to the radio crowd. In between there is all kinds of room for Shorty to feature himself or different elements of his all star band.

They players are all great in their own right; they create a nice pocket for Shorty to fit into. Of note, the drummer Joey Peebles is like a contemporary version of animal from the Muppets. He just kills it on the drums and is one of the reasons the band is so solid rhythmically. The drums and specific beats are quintessential to the Orleans Avenue sound. Mike Bass Ballard (on bass) is a fantastic complement to Peebles’s drum skills; these two are locked on the beat. It’s always nice to hear such an adept bass/drums combination–it really secures the floor of the music and allows the players to float effortlessly above the solidarity. Dan Oestreicher and BK Jackson do more than an adequate job on the saxophones, filling in those New Orleans horn harmony sounds with soul. Both these guys can play too–they’re not just there for accompaniment. As a guitarist, I’d really love to have Pete Murano’s job. While perhaps the least talented of the group (imo), he definitely can do his thing and his vibe seems appropriate for the overall sound. You could argue that the metal sounding power chords are what really makes the Trombone Shorty sound that much different from the others.

Horn players come and go, but there is no one else like Shorty. He is really the reason people flock to see his band. I have to say that ever since I saw these guys in 2009 I was hooked. A group I was in at the time had the opportunity to support Shorty while he was hyping the Backatown album. After our set, we watched Orleans Avenue take a ride and it was awesome. Shorty can play the hell out of the trombone and the trumpet, among many other instruments that he moonlights at. His circular breathing is about as amazing as I’ve ever seen–he can literally go 10+ minutes without having to take a breath. While it’s not the healthiest way to go about playing the horn, it sure makes for a good effect. As a bandleader, he is exceptional. He understands how to nuance and finesse the band to get exactly what he wants out of their sound. Often, the audience gets to watch Shorty conduct his own band–he will clap out an entire 16 measure phrase in advance and then have the band perform what he just composed on the spot. “Oh, you mean that thing that we’re supposed to be working on that you just mentioned? Oh yeah, were on top of that.” It’s really interesting and fun to watch.

Then we have Trombone Shorty as the writer/producer. While it’s somewhat typical for New Orleans horn music to sound very similar, Shorty’s compositions have much more pop to them; they are well written, if not extremely catchy. He’s released 3 more albums since the Backatown record, and they all keep getting better and better, with enhanced production and more carefully crafted songs. Many of the compositions feature the New Orleans vibe with a more contemporary rock edge. His songs have been featured just about everywhere–MTV’s Real World, NFL Football productions, several commercials. I’d definitely give a hat tip to his agent–whoever this person is does a bang up job of promoting Shorty!

Both Shorty’s sound and band have really come a long way since the beginning. While the first Tipitina’s show that I saw had only about 300 people, the next year the place was sold out! It was hard to even find a spot to watch the band, let alone get in. You could tell he was going somewhere fast. These were some of the most fun shows I remember in New Orleans. Generally, as bands get bigger they lose the intimacy of the small club capacity and have a hard time adjusting to bigger shows. While I definitely noticed the difference seeing him through the years, as a Jazzfest headliner for example, he has really done a lot of work with the band to fill out the stage and allow his show to blossom in front of bigger audiences.

The last show I saw at Red Rocks was awesome. It was like the same band I remember in 2009, but now with an even larger performance area! The band was augmented with an additional drummer and guitarist. Each member had their own “feature” part during the show and Shorty has really learned how to command the bigger audiences as well. Where it was common to see the band parade through the crowd at Tipitina’s during the set (in true New Orleans fashion), I’m not sure the Red Rocks crowd was ready for it. It was a great surprise to the fans and just another awesome example of how creative and unique Shorty is as a player and bandleader. His charisma really puts him over the top. It makes the audience want to come back and do it all over again.

Before you search the web for Trombone Shorty tracks, take a look at their tour schedule to see when/if they are playing near you and go buy some tickets. This is a band and performance that needs to be seen live. If you happen to like the compositions as well, for sure throw the guys a bone and buy a CD. But make sure you see these guys live! You’ll have a hard time not becoming a fan.