When I was in junior high, I played the trombone. Not only did I play the bone, but I rocked a dickie (or, mock-turtleneck) in marching band and won a third-place ribbon at band camp. My grandparents were incredibly proud. By the time I hit high school, there was nothing cool about playing the trombone, and I quit. Had I known the bone could have led to recording with Bob Ezrin/U2 and sharing the stage with Green Day, perhaps I would have stuck with it.
Introducing Trombone Shorty, a virtuoso trombone/trumpet player in his early 20s who got his start on the streets of New Orleans. At the age of 4, he was hanging with Bo Diddly; by 12, caught the attention of Bono and the Edge of U2, and at 19, he was on the road with Lenny Kravitz. A regular at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Trombone Shorty performed with U2 and Green Day at the reopening of the Superdome in 2006 (during the Monday Night Football pre-game show). Needless to say, the dude is legit.
His current endeavor, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, is a funk/rock/hip-hop hybrid known for its explosive, high-energy live show. I had the great pleasure of catching them at Street Scene 2009, and they delivered. For a brief moment, I considered picking up a trombone for the first time in more than 20 years. Then reality set in. Above is a pic I shot from the Funk Pit.
Catch Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at the Belly Up Tavern, on March 10.
