Trombone Shorty Brought New Orleans to the Hudson Valley
Mardi Gras has officially arrived in the Hudson Valley!
Hailing from New Orleans, the hometown hero brought the house down with a mix of original songs and some classic covers with a twist. That’s right! This past weekend, Grammy-award-winning artist Trombone Shorty took his “Shorty Gras” tour to the Ulster Performing Arts Center.
Trombone Shorty, also known as Troy Andrews, is a talented musician known for his skills in the trombone and trumpet and his energetic performances in jazz, funk, and brass band music. He comes from humble beginnings, growing up in a neighborhood of New Orleans with a rich musical heritage. He’s often celebrated for his fusion of traditional New Orleans jazz with contemporary styles, gaining international recognition for his contributions to music. Andrews lent his musical talents to Jon Batiste’s 2021 album “WE ARE,” for which he received a much deserved Grammy.
As fans waited in anticipation for the show to start, a crowd formed outside the venue. Andrew Gray and Connor Simpson, two millennial concert-lovers from Hyde Park, were among the crowd outside. In between drags of an American Spirit Yellow cigarette, Gray discussed “Shorty Gras” coming to the Hudson Valley, “Tonight’s show is a wonderful display of how New Orleans jazz can come into a concert setting and also make it interesting for the average listener.” His friend, Simpson, added, “I think it’s cool that a band that is designed to play on the street would go into a venue, a nice venue, and play in that style.” The two brought up good points in that the UPAC isn’t exactly the typical venue for such a performance, namely, one that is designed to be performed on the street. Nevertheless, here Trombone Shorty was, in all of his musical glory.
The second Andrews took the stage, it was clear that the audience was in for a treat. The opening act, The Soul Rebels, set the stage by performing hits from the catalogs of Bruno Mars, Thundercat, Ice Cube, and Chance The Rapper. The Soul Rebels’ set was chock full of ‘ho’s’ and ‘hey’s,’ which were enough to warrant the required response from the crowd. Shorty and his band then officially began the show with an explosive introduction, complete with a cacophony of sounds ranging from brass to woodwind to percussion. The musicians kept the energy up and ensured that Shorty Gras at UPAC was a night to remember.
UPAC is set to host more amazing talent this year, such as the Old Crow Medicine Show and Fleet Foxes. Visit their website or social media for more information.
