Sacramento New & Review Music Pick (5/15/2008)

Trombone Shorty: New Orleans’ master of trombone.

Grown ’n’ sexy. To the bone.

In the wrong hands, super-funk-rock ­which combines the rawness of rock ’n’ roll with the energy of funk­ might come off as hokey. Don't worry, though­ Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has it all under control. Borrowing from the interpretive nature of jazz and the rawness of hip-hop, the trombonist has carved out quite a niche for himself. Seen through the eyes of a corporation, the kid is pure marketing potential: extremely talented, soulful and handsome. And it doesn't hurt that he’s a prodigy. Raised in New Orleans’ jazz-rich Treme neighborhood, Trombone Shorty, a band leader since the age of 6, performs each time as if he’s giving an unforgettably riveting speech. Using his horn, he cries, laughs, commands and convinces the crowd until they are swaying to his lead, forgetting time and place and focusing solely on the message: the music. And he does all this while almost shirtless.

He’s performed with U2 and Green Day and will play a special set at Marilyn’s on K (between 9th and 10th) on Wednesday, May 21. The 21-and-over show begins at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.marilynsonk.com.
----­Josh Fernandez

J O S H F E R N A N D E Z
associate arts editor

New Orleans native Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a bandleader since age 6, has earned rave reviews both for his jazz artistry and as leader of a blazing funk/rock/hip-hop band. The 22-year-old musician dazzles on both trumpet and trombone, and Offbeat Magazine recently named him "Performer of the Year" as well as "R&B/Funk Band of the Year." Rolling Stone critic David Fricke called Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue a "thrilling" highlight of the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

In an unofficial kick-off to the big Sacramento Jazz Jubilee weekend, Swell Productions is thrilled to present Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue making their blazing Sacramento debut downtown on Marilyn's on K**

A product of the culturally rich Treme neighborhood in New Orleans, Andrews was a trombone and trumpet player and band leader by the age of 6.

While Andrews was navigating New Orleans as a youngster with his band in tow, he was also absorbing lessons at the knee of his older brother James, a dynamic musical performer known as "Satchmo of the Ghetto." It is safe to say that by the time Andrews hit his early teens, he had a PhD in the ways of the streets, which you can still hear in his music. But he has also grown into a performer emanating elegance and class; gleaned from his successful studies at the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA). As a graduate he joined the ranks of other grads like Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., and Nicholas Payton.

In 2005, Andrews was tapped by Lenny Kravitz to be a featured member of his horn section for a world tour. A tour that shared billing with acts such as Aerosmith.

In London, during the summer of 2006, Andrews began working with producer Bob Ezrin and U2 at Abbey Road Studios. This association led to Andrews performing with U2 and Green Day during the re-opening spectacular of the New Orleans Superdome for the NFL’s Monday Night Football pre-game show. The show aired live on ESPN and was broadcast internationally by Westwood One.

To wrap up 2006, Andrews made his acting debut on the NBC television series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” Leading a group of New Orleans musicians, his musical performance of the holiday classic “O Holy Night” drew such an enthusiastic response from viewers that NBC released the single for free download on their web site.

Kicking off 2007, New Orleans’ premier music magazine, Offbeat, named Andrews their Performer of the Year. He also garnered honors as Best Contemporary Jazz Performer.

Andrews was a featured participant in the nationally televised NBA All-Star game in February, 2008. He played during the player introductions along with Branford Marsalis, Kermit Ruffins and Rebirth Brass Band.

The here and now finds Andrews a fully developed performer locked, loaded and bursting into international consciousness. His current project is Orleans Avenue, a funk/pop/hip-hop mix populated with musicians like Andrews who are young in age only. Orleans Avenue brings the heat winding audiences up in merry confusion. Jazz fans shake their heads in unexpected delight while the funksters shake what they got with glee. Things reach a fever pitch as Andrews starts his circular breathing–one note sustained in pristine beauty while the band vamps on a second line beat and sax player James Martin dances so ugly it's funky.

Virtuosity and exuberance, Orleans Avenue effortlessly combines both. With Mike Ballard on bass, James Martin on tenor sax, Pete Murano on guitar, and Joey Peebles on drums, their performances transcend the boundaries of generations and classification. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue is high energy, high octane and highly contagious.

For video, please go to:
http://www.tromboneshorty.com/press_kit/index.html
More info:
http://www.tromboneshorty.com/
http://www.myspace.com/tromboneshorty

**Marilyn's is a new official Sacramento Jazz Jubilee venue this year. Card-carrying members
of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, (annual sponsor of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee) and Sacramento Blues Society will receive a discounted ticket at the door.

www.sacjazz.com
www.sacjazz.org
www.sacblues.com

Chris Hillman:
He is a folkie who wound up in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. He is a journeyman sideman who wound up singing lead on 10 top-10 country smash hits. He is a bluegrass mandolin picker who detoured to three Gold Records in rock bands. He is a self-taught composer who wound up cowriting some of the cornerstone songs of the country-rock repertoire. In the beginning, he was just another curly-headed, guitar-playing kid from Southern California. But his life in music has taken him through several of the major movements that have defined modern American pop -- folk-rock, hippie psychedelia, country-rock, jazz fusion, contemporary country and modern bluegrass. His name is Chris Hillman. During his three decades as a music maker, his collaborators have included Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills, Vern Gosdin, David Crosby, Gram Parsons, Dan Fogelberg, J.D. Souther, Bob Dylan, and Roger McGuinn. He has been a member of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Desert Rose Band. He is a living history of popular music. But since he is nowhere near finished making memories, that's a book he's not ready to write.

Herb Pedersen:
Herb began his career in Berkeley, California in the early 60's playing 5 string banjo and acoustic guitar with people like David Grisman, Butch Waller, David Nelson, and Jerry Garcia. For the last thirty years, Herb has lived in southern California, and participated in select music groups, either in recording, or traveling on the road doing concerts. His recording discography is like a who's who of the singer/songwriter scene, so prevalent in the 70s and 80s. His own groups, like The Desert Rose Band, and The Laurel Canyon Ramblers, show why Herb is so respected in the industry. With his lifelong pal, Chris Hillman, Herb is in the process of continuing the type of music they both grew up playing and singing. There is a work in progress most of the time and that's the way Herb likes it.

Television and motion picture sound tracks are something Herb has been involved in since the early 70s. Shows like The Rockford Files, Smokey and The Bandit, the Maverick movie with Mel Gibson, Hunter, The Simpsons, have used Herb either on 5 string banjo, or vocals for many years. Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Johnny Rivers, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Jennifer Warnes, John Prine and Jesse Winchester have used Herb's talents in the past, and in all probability will continue to do so ...From Carnegie Hall to the Ryman auditorium, Herb's been on the scene enjoying every minute of it.

Special guests
Richard March
&
Tyler Ragle
open

Richard March:
Bay Area-born and now Sacramento-based, Richard March is truly the guiding light of Americana music in this city. He is a 2007 Sammie and Sacramento Magazine winner and tours the West Coast. His 2007 album, LEVEE ROAD, continues to receive airplay nationally.

www.chrishillman.com
www.herbpedersen.com
www.richardmarch.com