Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

www.tromboneshorty.com

Born and raised in Tremé, New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews learned to play the drums and “the world’s smallest trumpet” at the tender age of three.  By the time he was six, Andrews was playing trumpet and trombone in a jazz band led by his older brother James.  Not long after, Andrews formed his own band with other musically inclined kids from Tremé, including current band mate Dwayne Williams.  At the age of 12, Andrews was discovered performing at a local New Orleans club by U2’s Bono and The Edge.  Andrews’ rarefied talents and immense promise impressed the rock duo.  “There was this little funk band, but they were all playing brass instruments, which is something I’d never heard of or seen before.  We were just mesmerized by him,” remarked The Edge.  Andrews’ talent and immense promise inspired the organizers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to pick him as the youngest ever subject of the Festival’s annual Congo Square official poster.  Equally adept on trombone and trumpet, Andrews plays a variety of other instruments and applies the same skill set and fierce discipline to his vocals.  Andrews’ band Orleans Avenue is composed of Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dwayne Williams on percussion and Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax.  Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue’s newest album, Backatown, is receiving high praise and recently held the #1 spot on Billboard Magazine’s Contemporary Jazz Album Chart for seven weeks in a row.