Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname from an older brother who saw him lugging around in a street parade at the age of four with a trombone twice the length of little Andrews. Street parade? Yes, because Andrews is from New Orleans. Backatown refers to the Tremé, the neighborhood where he grew up. Unlike many New Orleans artists such as the Marsalis brothers and Harry Connick Jr. who do
… their utmost to keep the tradition of the New Orleans sound alive, Andrews is looking for his own music that he describes as: supafunk rock. Ben Ellman of the New Orleans funk band Galactic is responsible for the heavy, funky production of Backatown that opens with Hurricane Season, a portion of unadulterated P-Funk. Then the CD takes various paths. Guests include Allen Toussaint who plays the piano on his own classic On Your Way Down, Marc Broussard who sings with Andrews on Right To Complain, and Andrews' former band leader Lenny Kravitz whose guitar and voice support Something Beautiful. Backatown is a particularly meritorious debut that shows Andrews as a very versatile composer and wind player. (AD)more
