Photos by Neil Van
The bass was loud, it shook your bones. The drums rattled your ribcage. The guitars wailed and a duo of saxes punched through the beautiful noise. The band, Orleans Avenue came to the stage and started playing. It was full-on rock, a ball of musical energy, and that’s before front man, Trombone Shorty, even hit the stage.
You don’t expect a band called Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue to start their show with Rage Against the Machine’s Bulls on Parade, but they aren’t your typical band. Trombone Shorty is the stage name of New Orleans native, Troy Andrews. Together with his band, he put on a show that defied genres and, likely, expectations too. Andrews appeared on the Danforth Music Hall stage, arms outstretched, clutching his shiny instruments, one in each hand – a trombone and a trumpet. There was a Rocky Balboa-like quality to his presence as he strode across the stage. There is a great deal of theatre in a Trombone Shorty show.
The old school showmanship of the night began with show openers Vintage Trouble, an R&B group out of California. The band has a retro ‘60s vibe that evokes great musical pioneers of that era. Dressed in a 3 piece suit, front man Ty Taylor worked hard to warm up the crowd. Vintage Trouble’s relentless determination to “bring the party” finally won the room over thanks to talent, funk and theatrics that had Taylor preaching from the balcony to the crowd below.
Trombone Shorty and his crew picked up where Vintage Trouble left off and moved the funk machine forward. Their brand of music defies categorization. It’s mostly funk, except when it’s rock. And sometimes it’s jazz, with hints of hip hop. To steal a term from Spinal Tap, this group plays each song “at 11.” Musically, they are tight and sleek; they play tunes that feel like meandering jams – even though they aren’t. The band peppered its 13 song set with licks and snippets that nod to their myriad of influences. From Apache to Axel F, from Usher to James Brown, the musical (and cultural) references were flying. The whole evening felt like a funk rave, if you can imagine such a thing.
The only respite from the revelry came with Then There Was You. It was a beautiful, quieter moment where Andrews was able to let his trumpet tell a story with fluttering notes and gentle tones. The concert may have benefitted from a few more of these interludes.
The night ended with a two song encore that provided more frenetic energy that pushed the audience to keep pace. As much as the high-speed funk-rock-jazz train was barrelling along, the crowd was particularly lifted by the inclusion of a parenthetic brass solo of When the Saints Come Marching In. Perhaps there is a place for more pure jazz in Trombone Shorty’s hybrid world. All in all, the night was a blast of music and jubilation – a true celebration.
