Troy Andrews, otherwise known as Trombone Shorty, is at the forefront of contemporary, horn-based music - but don't call him a jazz musician. He may play jazz on the side, though his primary range falls between and encompasses rock, hip-hop, and funk. Growing up in the poor but extremely musical Treme district of New Orleans, Andrews was immersed in music apparently as soon as he could pick up the brass even if he wasn't able to reach all the notes on the Trombone slide. He began playing music marching around the streets of Treme, home to such musical families as the Neville Brothers and the Marsalis family, with hoards of neighborhood kids before they even actually had instruments. By age six he had played with the Carlsberg Brass Band at the 1991 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and eventually began to get noticed not only for his young age, but for his actual musical prowess.Andrews studied at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, eventually coming to work with Lenny Kravitz's backing band on his 2005 tour as well as with U2 producer Bob Ezrin. The U2 connection got him a spot playing with U2 and Green Day at the re-opening of the New Orleans Superdome on Monday Night Football. Andrews was also named last year's performer of the year and contemporary jazz performer of last year by established New Orleans magazine Offbeat. This exposure garnered much praise from jazz greats including Allen Toussaint and Wynton Marsalis, Andrews' self-proclaimed "biggest fan." Andrews is deeply connected to his trombone and trumpet, for he considers them essentially his whole life. He grew up on brass and now he claims his horn is his "passport," allowing him to travel the world and play (for hours on end) to audiences eager to hear the next new thing. -Ian Nelson
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