Trombone Shorty brings Big Easy’s jazz to UNC

It’s a dance party with a side of history and culture, a la New Orleans.

The Big Easy’s jazz-fusion musician, Trombone Shorty, will bring the party to Chapel Hill in a performance hosted by Carolina Performing Arts at Memorial Hall Friday.

Trombone Shorty and his band, Orleans Avenue, create music that mixes traditions of jazz with funk, R&B, modern rock and hip-hop to produce a sound representative of the lively culture in New Orleans.

CPA Marketing Coordinator Becca Brenner said the group’s infectious energy sets it apart from other jazz musicians.

“It’s neat to see the energy that New Orleans lives and breathes come to Chapel Hill, so that people can come together and experience this night of a party,” Brenner said.

The party will continue after the performance with a jam session featuring local musicians at Linda’s Downbar. Brenner said the bar will open for the after-party at 10:30 p.m., and it is free and open to all ages. Linda’s will serve New Orleans-themed food and drinks to celebrate Trombone Shorty’s hometown.

Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has performed at the White House, NFL playoff games and countless jazz festivals. He began playing brass instruments when he was 4 years old and was a touring musician at age 10, according to his website.

“He is truly a virtuoso — somebody who, for many years in his short life, has become immersed in this art form,” said Aaron Shackelford, Mellon postdoctoral fellow for Arts@theCore.

Shackelford works with Arts@theCore to integrate CPA shows into academic work at UNC. Students taking certain English and political science courses will attend the show and incorporate its historical themes into their classroom discussions.

“It offers ways not only to think about how artists help improve conditions and address issues in places like New Orleans, but also to see how the arts creates openings for people to talk about these issues,” Shackelford said.

Trombone Shorty has been an advocate for recovery and change in post-Katrina New Orleans, starting a charity foundation and performing at benefit concerts to give back to the city.

“He’s a really good example of the ways in which artists play an active role in their communities,” Shackelford said. “He is an excellent role model, regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with his music.”

Brenner, who visits New Orleans frequently, said Trombone Shorty is wildly popular in the area.

“Every time I go down there, Trombone Shorty is everywhere. You go to a coffee shop and you see art on the wall and it’s of him, or you see the street musicians and they’re covering one of his songs,” Brenner said.

Ruth Salvaggio, an English professor, teaches a class that focuses on the history and culture of New Orleans through literature. Salvaggio said that music in New Orleans has African and Creole roots, dating back to the slave trade, which makes it particularly significant in American culture.

“Music has always been much more than just music down there. It was a way to come to terms with troubled times during the slave trade and the great diaspora,” Salvaggio said. “It’s a sound that’s got a very long history.”

Brenner said she expects Trombone Shorty to be a hit in Chapel Hill.

“You won’t be able to sit still — you won’t want to,” Brenner said. “The music will just carry you.”

arts@dailytarheel.com