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77th Annual readers Polll
Trombone
Trombone Shorty
Evolving Naturally
By Jennifer Odell // Photo by Ingrid Hertfelder
When DownBeat sat down with Troy Andrews in September 2011 to discuss the impending
release of his album For True (Verve Forecast), the trombonist was a little
bleary-eyed. He and his band, Orleans Avenue, had been pulling long hours in daily
rehearsals ahead of the tour’s kickoff at the New Orleans club Tipitina’s, working out
how to translate the studio album to a live show. They were barely off the road from touring behind
2010’s Backatown (Verve Forecast) when For True hit stores. And it remained unclear whether their
second major-label release would live up to the high expectations set by their first, which debuted at
No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart—a position it did not give up for nine straight weeks.
One year later, Andrews, better known
as “Trombone Shorty,” was back in New
Orleans for two days between dates in
France and Colorado. Despite a still-grueling
schedule, the 26-year-old bandleader
sounded invigorated—and with good
reason.
Wide critical praise had followed the
release of For True, which, like its predecessor,
debuted at No. 1. The international
tour that followed was a soaring success
as well, and likely helped earn him the top
trombonist spot in the DownBeat Readers
Poll, an honor usually reserved for players
twice his age. Plans for the next album
were taking shape, too, complete with a
new producer and a more focused creative
process.
So much for the sophomore slump.
Speaking from his home in New
Orleans, Shorty reflects on the difference
a year of touring has made on his music.
“It’s gotten much stronger,” he says. “We
got comfortable with it. And it’s evolving
naturally. Being able to tour and let
the new ideas take over has been a fun
process.”
Later this fall, those ideas will have a
chance to blossom in the studio under the
guidance of Raphael Saadiq, a graduate of
the early ’90s hip-hop and r&b scene who
has since produced albums for The Roots,
D’Angelo and Macy Gray. Given Saadiq’s
ear, he’s poised to help Shorty experiment
with new concepts without compromising
his audible reverence for all things New
Orleans. Praising Saadiq’s “retro” music
taste and musicianship, Andrews adds that
“he has a great musical knowledge and he
knows what it takes to make hit records.”
Most of the music on For True was
created in spurts during rare moments of
down-time and brief breaks from the barrage
of tour dates, press engagements and
TV appearances that defined Andrews’
life after Backatown was released in April
2010. This time, the process will be more
concentrated.
“We’ll have more time in the studio to
do the full recording,” says Andrews.
“We’re going to go to California and spend
a month there and not play any shows, so
we’ll get into a studio frame of mind.”
Recently, his original musical ideas—
which Andrews calls “sketches here and
there”—have come out of time spent playing
piano alone, and inspiration from
his bandmates. But the past year has
also afforded its share of inspirational
moments.
During a performance at the White
House in February, Shorty shared a stage
with B.B. King. While he was thrilled to
meet President Obama and play with Mick
Jagger, it’s clear that meeting his blues
guitar hero trumped all.
“[King] always sings with a lot of
soul, and it’s very powerful,” Andrews
marvels. “When I hit the stage, I approach
it as if it’s the last time I ever will. What
I get from B.B. is [the intensity of his]
heart and soul—I mean, you can see it in
his face. It’s what I’ve been trying to do
my whole life.”
Other recent collaborators have included
Gov’t Mule singer/guitarist Warren
Haynes and country-rock act the Zac
Brown Band, which featured Andrews and
members of his band on its July release,
Uncaged (Southern Ground/Atlantic).
Working in a variety of musical settings is
a challenge Andrews relishes. It also illustrates
to younger fans just how wide the
range of artistic possibilities can be.
“For some kids, being in the band or
playing trombone can be … not so cool,”
he admits. “But that’s because you’re not
always playing music you like.”
At home in the Crescent City, Andrews
is doing what he can to ensure that no
young musical talent goes to waste. His
Horns For Schools program has distributed
customized trumpets and trombones to
students in four schools, and its board is
investigating ways to broaden their efforts.
“I’m happy I’ve had an impact on a
younger generation,” he muses. “I hope I
can inspire them to take what I’m doing
and go beyond it.” DB
48 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2012