When it comes to horn-filled funk and jazz, one cannot shy away from New Orleans native Trombone Shorty. Shorty?s passion, creativity and dedication to the music and culture of New Orleans has driven his musical success and style to great heights. Shorty and the New Orleans Avenue?s performance at Higher Ground on Tuesday was a showcase for the dynamic style. As both an entertainer and a musician, he has developed this style over the course of more than a decade of performances.In the show, Troy ?Trombone Shorty? Andrews displayed extensive abilities with both the trombone and the trumpet. The two are brass instruments that require different sets of skills, and are not typically played at the same time. However, Shorty was still able to show off a range of technical solos from the trombone in one song, and then switch off to the trumpet in the next, all without skipping a beat. The notes that erupted from his horns were loud and blaring, yet precise. The melodies they created maneuvered throughout a relentless stream of funk generated by his backing band the New Orleans Ave. His crew consists of one bassist, one guitarist, a drummer and both a baritone and tenor saxophone. Together, they produced a genre-destroying sound that maintained the heaviness of rock n? roll while constantly mixing in jazz and funk.Baritone sax player, Dan Oestreicher, and electric guitar player, Pete Murano, were both able to keep up with Shorty.They used their instruments to engage the at-capacity Higher Ground audience in complex musical journeys throughout their performance.Whenever he wasn?t playing one of his horns, Trombone Shorty was either singing or acting as the conductor. His lyrics reflected a deep passion for the music that he creates and the pride in his hometown of New Orleans. His intense energy and musical blends have allowed Trombone Shorty to establish jazz as a mainstream genre. With an extensive and still developing set of musical skills, Shorty and the New Orleans Avenue continue to bring a sound that is all their own to the musical stage.
