Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most. At 4, he made his first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival performing with Bo Diddley. At 6, he was leading his own brass band. And as a teenager, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band assembled for his Electric Church World Tour.

Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch a gig, open The New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma — a natural-born showman who can command an audience with the best of them.

Since 2010, he’s released four chart-topping studio albums; toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr and countless others; and played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz and nearly every other major festival.

He’s performed four times at the Grammy Awards, five times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet. He launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation in 2011 to support youth music education, and he received the prestigious Caldecott Honor in 2016 for his first children’s book, Trombone Shorty.

In New Orleans, Shorty leads his own Mardi Gras parade atop a giant float crafted in his likeness; hosts the annual Voodoo Threauxdown, which has drawn guests including Usher, Nick Jonas, Dierks Bentley, Andra Day and Leon Bridges to sit in with his band; and has taken over Jazz Fest’s hallowed final set, which has seen him close out the internationally renowned gathering after performances by the likes of Neil Young, the Black Keys and Kings of Leon.

Saturday, June 24 | 9:30 p.m.
Connor Palace, Playhouse Square