Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews' new album, Backatown (Verve Forecast April 20), is the work of a rare artist who can draw both the unqualified respect of jazz legends and deliver a high-energy rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars and audiences alike. With such an unprecedented mix of rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop and soul, he had to create his own name to describe his signature sound: Supafunkrock! Andrews is the kind of player who comes along maybe once in a generation, and Backatown is the latest, clearest proof that his artistry is as singular as his raw talent.
Troy's rarefied talents and immense promise inspired the organizers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to pick him as the subject of the fest's annual Congo Square official poster. In 2009, at 23, he became the youngest artist ever to be pictured on a poster--the next youngest was Wynton Marsalis, who was featured at age 41. Said Marsalis of Andrews, “Shorty possesses the rarest combination of talent, technical capability and down-home soul. I'm his biggest fan." The press has been blown away as well. Checking out a Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performance, New York Times lead music critic Jon Pareles observed that the front man “flaunted the presence of a rock star... He played trombone with almost combative postures." And Rolling Stone's David Fricke observed that Andrews, “looking like a street-parade P. Diddy in a sharp white suit, made true heavy metal with his horn in a thrilling recasting of AC/DCs 'Back in Black.'" When asked about his favorite songs on Backatown, Andrews says, “Actually, I'm quite comfortable with the whole record. Being a musician, I'm never, ever comfortable with a record, because as soon as it's finished I hear something I could change, but not in this case. It's cool for me, 'cause I'm not on there takin' an eight-minute solo or anything like that. I think it's a well-rounded record, with songs that can catch everybody's attention. “This is a dream come true," Troy says of the anticipation building in hip circles for the release of Backatown.
“I'm super-excited about this record, and I can't wait for people to hear it--because this record is the defining moment of our sound." Troy Andrews' dream is now a musical reality of potentially game-changing significance, as he and his band prepare to shift the musical landscape in a thrilling new direction. After performing one of 2010's closing sets at Jazzfest--but this time with a smokin' new album in hand--Andrews and the band will hit the summer festival circuit. Starting at the Hollywood Bowl during the Playboy Jazz Festival, then heading back to Bonnaroo and winding through High Sierra Music Fest, as well as a plethora of jam band, blues, rock and jazz festivals across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan, Andrews' travels are virtually guaranteed to build a huge new international following for this singular new artist.
Troy's rarefied talents and immense promise inspired the organizers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to pick him as the subject of the fest's annual Congo Square official poster. In 2009, at 23, he became the youngest artist ever to be pictured on a poster--the next youngest was Wynton Marsalis, who was featured at age 41. Said Marsalis of Andrews, “Shorty possesses the rarest combination of talent, technical capability and down-home soul. I'm his biggest fan." The press has been blown away as well. Checking out a Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performance, New York Times lead music critic Jon Pareles observed that the front man “flaunted the presence of a rock star... He played trombone with almost combative postures." And Rolling Stone's David Fricke observed that Andrews, “looking like a street-parade P. Diddy in a sharp white suit, made true heavy metal with his horn in a thrilling recasting of AC/DCs 'Back in Black.'" When asked about his favorite songs on Backatown, Andrews says, “Actually, I'm quite comfortable with the whole record. Being a musician, I'm never, ever comfortable with a record, because as soon as it's finished I hear something I could change, but not in this case. It's cool for me, 'cause I'm not on there takin' an eight-minute solo or anything like that. I think it's a well-rounded record, with songs that can catch everybody's attention. “This is a dream come true," Troy says of the anticipation building in hip circles for the release of Backatown.
“I'm super-excited about this record, and I can't wait for people to hear it--because this record is the defining moment of our sound." Troy Andrews' dream is now a musical reality of potentially game-changing significance, as he and his band prepare to shift the musical landscape in a thrilling new direction. After performing one of 2010's closing sets at Jazzfest--but this time with a smokin' new album in hand--Andrews and the band will hit the summer festival circuit. Starting at the Hollywood Bowl during the Playboy Jazz Festival, then heading back to Bonnaroo and winding through High Sierra Music Fest, as well as a plethora of jam band, blues, rock and jazz festivals across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan, Andrews' travels are virtually guaranteed to build a huge new international following for this singular new artist.
