Trombone Shorty is probably the most important cultural ambassador for New Orleans today. This seems like obvious sentiment after witnessing the the second of three sold out shows to end 2012 at The Fillmore in San Francisco.
The evening’s set was laced with cover songs, many directly from the Crescent City, but Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue were willing to cover songs from almost any genre. The familiar song selections along with Trombone Short’s smart band leadership and charming stage presence elated the older audience at The Fillmore, San Francisco.
This young NOLA musician has gotten surprisingly popular; when an artist can sell out three consecutive nights at The Fillmore without ever having a bonafide hit single, something special must be going on, right? After seeing Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue perform on December 30th, the reason for his popularity came into focus.
He’s an amazing trombone & trumpet player, but we already knew that. He’s also a thrilling lead performer without his brass in hand. When he put down his instrument and just rocked the mic, Troy Andrews was just as captivating. Once the show was over though, it appeared his best quality as a performer might be his work as a bandleader and teacher.
The Orleans Avenue band members got to shine properly because Trombone Shorty allows them space to improvise and perform solos, but you never forget whose show it is. And for the encore, Trombone Shorty brought out three youngsters to perform, & thay impressed on brass while performing solos during “When the Saints Come Marching In.” Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, watched “his local students” closely as they performed, as if they were in a one-on-one class. What a treat and gift to give his brightest students: a taste of success & something to strive for by performing to a sold out crowd at The Fillmore.
The crowd ate up the songs with the young performers, and “Saints” started and ended a NOLA medley that included the theme song from “Treme” and an interlude of “Who Dat,” which was made famous by Rebirth Brass Band. Other covers included The Guess Who’s “American Woman,” Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman,” & Snoop Dogg’s “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”
Trombone Shorty kept coming back to familiar tunes, which kept recharging the mostly 40+ crowd. While the medley felt like canned “NOLA” culture compared to what you might experience in New Orleans itself, you’ve got to give the man credit for showcasing his roots and keeping this important American culture alive.
The positive energy Trombone Shorty circulated on stage clearly effected the band members in a positive way. And since everyone on stage was truly having a fun time, this real energy permeated into the audience. Trombone Shorty knows how to work a crowd, make his band better by giving them space, and plays his instruments with passion and mastery that is unmatched.
dudes one hell of a trumpet player too! great pics!