Trombone Shorty brings down the house in a late TLA show

New Orleans prodigy Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has honed his brand of Jazz Funk to an art form. He’s been strong on the festival circuit, ubiquitous on HBO’s series Treme, and seems to consider Philly his second home. He opened a late Saturday night show (technically Sunday morning, considering the midnight stage time) at the TLA with a jumping version of suite “Slippery Lips / Craziest Things/ Backjump” which showcases both his trombone playing and vocals, which have become more prevalent of late.

Shorty’s stage presence is complemented by a fantastic backing band, especially the bass playing of Michael Ballard and lead guitarist Pete Murano, who have been part of Orleans Avenue from the start. Shorty played to the crowd, which included The Stooges Brass Band (presumably coming from their Made In America set), and generally transported us to a good bit to the south. My highlights were the always electric and appropriately-titled Hurricane Season, perhaps his signature instrumental, the catchy On Your Way down, and the amazing encore Mardi Gras, complete with a Second Line of family and friends on stage and closing with a full group drum solo.