Okay, I have to admit something. If I'm going to write about Trombone Shorty, it inevitably will be tinged somewhat with envy. Or jealousy. Or whichever of the deadly sins involves my wishing that I had even a portion of the talent, on ONE instrument, that this guy has on TWO.
Trombone Shorty plays the trombone very well. He also plays the trumpet very well. And sings very well. And puts on a great show. And he does it all with a ton of energy, performing repertoire which is heavily influenced by the jazz and brass band traditions of New Orleans - his hometown - while incorporating elements of a wide variety of other styles including funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop and rock. Here's a taste - the groove starts right away; he solos on trombone at 2:10:
Apart from his technical virtuosity, there are a two main aspects of Trombone Shorty's playing which excite me. The first is his stage presence. In the classic style versus substance debate, his playing more than covers the substance portion; but he's a lot about style too. When he performs, he puts on a show. From entry to exit, he and his band-mates give their all, engaging the audience with music, banter, sing-alongs and consistently danceable grooves. With Trombone Shorty, the music is the show, and the show is the music - there is no separation here of the spectacle from the spectacular. Check it out:
The other exciting part of Trombone Shorty's playing for me is his repertoire. His shows are full of references to the street beats and brass bands of New Orleans, but they're also a great reflection of the wide diversity of musical styles his fellow musicians - and his audiences - have listened to growing up. These musicians are not pretending to play in other styles; these other styles are integral to who they are as musicians. When asked to talk about the music they perform, Trombone Shorty said:
“We never sat down and really thought about concepts and what we wanted our music to sound like. It’s just that, over the years, we allowed each one of the band members to bring their influences and taste in music into our music. Anything we hear or are influenced by, it naturally comes out in what we’re trying to do. It’s just our sound, and it happened naturally.”
Finally, for all the flash and dash of the live show, I have great respect for the way Trombone Shorty talks about the music he plays, the city from which he comes, and the importance of passing on musical knowledge and experience to a younger generation. Here's a great interview he did for The Times-Picayune in New Orleans:
Trombone Shorty plays the Toronto Star Mainstage at Nathan Phillips Square on Wednesday, June 26 at 8 pm. Planet Earth opens up. Buy tickets now or visit the concert page for more information.
Josh
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