TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
New Orleans party rock comes to Fuji!
Troy Andrews, aka Tronbone Shorty has come a long way. From the ghettos of New Orleans as a child, with trombone in hand the whole way, he’s made it as big as it gets. To playing on TV award shows, playing major sporting events, talk shows, playing for the president at the white house (yes, Obama, not Trump) to touring with some of the biggest rock bands in the world like Fuji Rock favorites Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Whoever thought a boy with a trombone could make it this far?
Trombone Shorty is a rock star, who just happens play trombone instead of guitar. It was no big surprise then, that Andrews along with the Orleans Avenue band, came out rocking with Pete Murano on lead guitar blasting away and Trombone Shorty jumping around and hyping up the crowd on the mic. The band rocks a lot harder than I expected and while essentially jazz based, Shorty and his crew pump out a lot of straight rock.
The band is six members deep with Andrews taking the lead on trombone and trumpet, there’s Pete Murano on guitar, there’s also drums, a bass, a tenor and baritone sax. The Orleans Revue played for just over an hour, early Sunday evening on the Field of Heaven stage and laid down a power hour of the sound of New Orleans.
Throughout the set, Shorty promised to take us to New Orleans, a feat I’d say he accomplished. While I’ve never been to New Orleans myself, I get the impression that the place must contain a whole lot of singing, dancing, shouting, hollering, but more than anything else, great live music. In a city with possibly the most jazz clubs per square mile, competition is sure to be fierce. To have accomplished what Trombone Shorty has, rising to fame and stardom not only in New Orleans, but America and the rest of the world is no small feat.
The whole band is super solid and even though an hour is probably a bit shorter than they prefer to play, they brought the fire regardless. There were saxophone battles, crazy guitar licks, drum and bass solos and more. This doesn’t even speak to Trombone Shorty and his command over everything from the crowd, his band, his voice, his trumpet and the ever present custom trombone. He’s a master on both instruments, but looks natural on the trombone, an instrument Andrews has been playing since he was 4 years old.
The crowd at the Field of Heaven stage, who chose this set over Lorde (playing on the Green stage at the same time) came to party and dance. People were clapping, shaking, dancing and grooving along with Trombone Shorty. With his infectious, uplifting personality and a couple of horns in hand, Troy Andrews has done things many people never thought possible. His set was rocking hard and full of energy, it fit in well at a rock festival. Shorty was recently signed to world famous Blue Note Records, so it wont be surprising to see him and the Orleans Avenue make appearances at the jazz super clubs of the same name. One thing is for sure, no matter the venue, whether festival, local bar or jazz super club, Trombone Shorty will always have New Orleans in his heart and a Trombone in his hand.
