A Conversation with Trombone Shorty – HuffPost 11.7.11

Mike Ragogna: Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, how’re you doing?

Trombone Shorty: Doing good, Mike. How you feeling?

MR: Feeling good, man. Troy, what kind of fun’s been happening lately?

TS: Everything is going great. We’re continuing to tour a lot to support the albums and it’s been really exciting. These last few years have been a great ride.

MR: You’ve been riding a wave of critical accolades and playing non-stop. You played Iowa City recently, right?

TS: Yeah, we did. It was a nice place with a big fan base–it was really cool. We recently did the Iowa City Jazz Festival and a lot of people remembered us from that, plus people were excited about the new record. It was really fun…people were jumping up and down on their seats and all. It was great.

MR: Troy, your music includes jazz, funk, hip-hop… How would you describe it?

TS: I call it Super Funk Rock. It’s just something that directly flows from the city of New Orleans. You know, down there, everything is just like a gumbo; you just put it into one pot. You’re constantly inspired by different kinds of music because we’re exposed to it there. Every time you play with someone different, you’re playing with someone who has strength in a different genre. That type of training has such an impact on us musically. It’s like if your family were to move to a different place and you began to pick up different accents or mannerisms. That’s how I think of playing music in New Orleans. I also just want to continue to learn about all styles of music. New Orleans music is just a musical gumbo. I don’t know what else to call it. It has it’s own genre, you just hope it feels good.

MR: Nice. You grew up in New Orleans, right?

TS: Right.

MR: Which neighborhood did you grow up in?

TS: The Treme neighborhood.

MR: And you were actually on several episodes of the TV series Treme.

TS: Yeah, about six or seven episodes. I think I’ve only seen two of them so far.

MR: What was it like growing up in that neighborhood?

TS: Oh, it was great. There was music all the time. The world famous Rebirth Brass Band used to practice around the corner; there was the late Tuba Fatts who was a mentor to my brother and me. All of my family even played music. So, just growing up there and being able to see the street parade going on everyday for a birthday party or a jazz funeral was amazing. Everyone was family there. Everyone looked out for one another. It was great to grow up there as a student and a fan of music. Everyone was just like a parent and they always tried to make sure that you were on the right track.

MR: So, it took a village even then?

TS: That’s right.

MR: Nice. And–I love this–at the age of six, you were already a bandleader.

TS: Yeah. I put together a Trombone Shorty Brass Band with my friends across the street. I knew how to play some drums at that age, but I really didn’t speak the language of music. I was just teaching those guys how by example. Then after a while, my cousins even got involved. We would march around the city of New Orleans doing birthday parties for kids and all different kinds of things. We were just trying to imitate what my brothers were doing and what the Rebirth Brass Band was doing because that’s all we saw. We wound up going on tour in Europe when I was about ten years old and everything. It was about a month long tour–it was really exciting.

MR: Who were some of your influences growing up?

TS: There were so many–James Brown, Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, NIN, The Ministry, Louis Armstrong, Rebirth Brass Band, just to name a few. I always try to steal something from everybody.

MR: (laughs) And I think I can figure this one out, but how did you get the name “Trombone Shorty”?

TS: Well, I started playing the trombone when I was four, and my brother shouted out that name to me at a jazz funeral. The horn was actually taller than me at that point, and it kind of stuck with me. You know, everyone in New Orleans had a nickname and I guess that was mine. Still is. I tried to do a show under my own name and only my close friends and family members showed up.

MR: Now, you’ve not only had some great success on your own albums recently, but you also have been busy collaborating. For example, didn’t you recently play on a Jeff Beck track and now he’s on For True.

TS: Yeah, I played with Jeff on a song for a tribute album for Les Paul. It was really exciting to be able to play with him live.

MR: Do you feel like the two of you have a synergy when you play together?

TS: Oh, yes. It’s amazing to be able to be on stage with him. I’ve shared the stage with him a bunch in the last year. We went on tour to open for him in the UK and he invited me to play with him every night. He’s just a legendary musician and it’s so great to be able to be on stage with him…and steal some of his licks. (laughs)

MR: (laughs) I think he’s one of the most expressive guitar players I’ve ever heard.

TS: Agreed. You can definitely hear his heard and soul when he’s playing. It’s almost like he’s singing.

MR: Speaking of being able to hear someone’s heart and soul, “Encore,” the second track on For True, features Warren Haynes.

TS: That’s right.

MR: Is there a story behind that?

TS: Well, I played with Warren on different things through the years and he happened to be in town to do a jazz fest and I said that we should try to get him on one of the tracks because I’m a big fan of his playing. So, he actually came over for a few hours, and we ate some po’ boys and we got in the studio and he played on the track. The rest is history.

MR: What went into the track creatively?

TS: There are all kinds of different things that I do. When I get the chance, I try to write on my computer. I have a small keyboard that I take with me and I can put together a whole digital band on the program. Sometimes, I’ll write on a piano if I’m in a hotel and they have one. I just grab my iPhone and record it. Sometimes, we even have mic check jam sessions and we record it on one of our phones or whatever we can get our hands on. So, sometimes it happens in the studio, sometimes not. I wrote the song, “Funk,” in the studio just playing around. I didn’t have anything created when I went in, I was just there by myself with the producer and I told him to get some track going and I started on the drums and worked my way through all the instruments and put that track together. It’s just a matter of when I’m inspired in the moment.

MR: So, you’re the type of artist that goes to his instrument when inspiration strikes.

TS: Yeah. If I can’t get to an instrument, I’ll just hum it into my phone and I’ll create it later on. I’m also the kind of artist that constantly has music running around in my head all the time. It really bothers me when I’m trying to go to sleep and I always hear melodies. But that’s also the fun of music–you’re always moving forward and trying to do something different. For instance, I’m hearing some things now that I’m going to put down when we go to sound check.

MR: You also worked on The Princess and the Frog with Dr. John which was nominated for an Academy Award, didn’t you? What was that experience like?

TS: It was great. Dr. John called me and I had no idea what we were doing but I went in the studio and we did the song. There was a screen with these black and white cartoon sketches and I had to play off of what the cartoon character was doing on the trombone, you know? It was really fun. That was my first time doing something like that and it was really exciting to be in the studio with Dr. John and his band.

MR: I’ll bet you get calls for a lot of session work now.

TS: I think so. Unfortunately, I’m not in the city very often, so I miss a lot of calls when things are going on because we’re on tour. But it’s fun, you know? It’s great to be able to be in that position. It’s a blessing.

MR: Now, you’re only a couple of albums into your career, what do you see as far as the future of your career as Trombone Shorty?

TS: I have no idea. I didn’t even plan on getting this far; I just wanted to play music. Music has taken me so far already, and I have no idea what it has in store. We’re just gonna keep moving forward and you never know what can happen. We’ll continue to try to do the impossible.

MR: We also have to mention that when they re-opened the Superdome for Monday Night Football, you did a little pre-game set with Green Day, right?

TS: Yeah, one of my favorite bands.

MR: There’s got to be a story behind that.

TS: Well, we were on tour in the UK and they called me because I was supposed to be back in New Orleans around that time doing Jazz Fest. So, I got a call while I was at Abbey Road Studios that they wanted to put together something and the next thing you know, I’m at a table with Bob Ezrin, Rick Rubin, Green Day, and U2 talking about what we were gonna do. It was really exciting, and within the next couple of weeks, they called some of my New Orleans friends to participate and then we played at the re-opening. It was really exciting to be able to sit down at a table with all of those guys. It was a great thing to be a part of, and they’re all great guys who all wanted to help out our city in some way, and they did just that.

MR: Troy, because you are a New Orleans native, I have to ask you about your thoughts on how the restoration of the city is going.

TS: Well, right now the city is at about 85%, I would say. Of course, the lower Ninth Ward was the area hit the hardest and that area hasn’t improved much at all, but there are still people that feel very strongly about that neighborhood. They built their houses back up and didn’t leave. The population is very low there, but overall, I think New Orleans is doing okay. People are doing their part to keep it alive and I’m doing my part with the people of New Orleans to bring the city back even better than it was before.

MR: While we’re here, I just want to touch on your album Backatown, your Grammy nomination, and how that album spent a lot of time at the top of the jazz charts. Did you have a feeling that that album was so strong, it was gonna hit big?

TS: No, I never feel like that. I have no expectations and never know what any of these albums are gonna do, so anything that happens is a complete surprise to me. It’s a blessing and an honor to be in that position. When I put that album out I wasn’t even thinking about the charts or anything, I just wanted to put it out there and let the fans hear it. For it to be on the charts for nine weeks was a blessing to me. I just mainly wanted to get the music out and see what the fans thought.

MR: Nice. What was it like being at the Grammy’s?

TS: Oh, it was nice. It was great having the world’s greatest musicians and entertainers there and I was just excited that I got to see some of my favorite people. Just to be a part of that was another big step for me. It was like, “Wow, I’m really here.” I never dreamed about that, but I was so grateful to be a part of what’s going on in music today. It’s a great feeling when your hard work pays off and is being seen by the right people.

MR: Do you have any advice for newer artists?

TS: I would just say stay true to your music and if you’re honest and passionate about your music, it should take you wherever you want to be. Don’t worry about being a superstar, just be honest in your music and passionate about your craft and people will see that. Make sure you’re focused and honing your craft so that you’re able to get better musically and technically and go out there and continue to work hard.

MR: Where will your tour be taking you over these next few months?

TS: Well, we’ve been all over so far and I don’t think we’re done until January. Right now, we’re all over the East Coast, then we head out to Europe again before Christmas. We’ll probably continue to keep playing all over the world…it never stops for us.

MR: Troy, best of luck with everything, and thank you so much for coming by and talking with us today.

TS: Thank you so much for having me, Mike.

Transcribed by Evan Martin