Lifted is the name of the new album by Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty. Held aloft, he graces the album cover as a little boy in his mother's arms on the edge of a passing Orleans-style marching band. In his hands, little Troy holds a toy saxophone into which he apparently blows fiercely. Only a little later he replaced this toy with a real trombone, with which he marched in parades in New Orleans as a five-year-old three-cheese boy, which earned him the nickname Trombone Shorty, which he then could not get rid of and probably did not want to. Born into a musical family, he attended the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and released his first album, Swingin' Gate, at the age of 16 to critical acclaim. Other releases followed, including several live recordings of his performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. In Europe, he was heard at European jazz festivals shortly thereafter. Among other things, he accompanied Lenny Kravitz on his 2005 world tour and performed with U2 and Green Day. His album Backatown, on which Trombone Shorty not only played trombone but also numerous other instruments and was heard as a singer for the first time, brought him his breakthrough in the USA and a nomination at the Grammy Awards in the category Best Contemporary Jazz Album. And from then on it went up the ladder of success.
Troy Andrews can claim to have made a decisive contribution to spreading the New Orleans mojo worldwide. With his playful, spirited and, above all, danceable roots music, he is also regarded as an unofficial ambassador of his homeland in the South. Corona has also contributed to the fact that it took five years for Troy Andrews to go back into the studio with a whole host of contributors to record Lifted after his last album Parking Lot Symphony. In addition to background singers blessed with all the gospel consecrations, Lifted features such great blues guitarists as Gary Clark Jr, pop singer Lauren Daigle, the rhythm section of his high school marching band and the New Breed Brass Band, among others.
Combining Earth, Wind & Fire-style horns with Prince's deep funk groove and sing-along choruses, tracks like "Might Not Make It Home," "Come Back" and "Good Company" show Troy Andrews and his Tourage in top playing spirits. With "I'm Standing Here" they show driven by a truly hot trombone solo and a not less hot appearance of the guest guitarist Gary Clark Jr. that it goes even more violent with all danceability. Things get considerably calmer with "Forgiveness" and with "What It Takes", in which the trombonist mutates into a trumpeter. Typical Trombone Shorty, Lifted is bursting with pulsating energy, which puts the listeners of his live performances into a sweaty ectasias and is not neglected on the new album, which does not reflect sterile studio production thanks to its exuberant liveliness.
By the way, Troy Andrews dedicated Lifted to his mother: “She passed recently, but she continued to inspire me right up until she transitioned, and that’s why I put a picture of her holding me up at a second line on the cover of this album. She lifted me up my whole life.”
Trombone Shorty, trombone, trumpet, Fender Rhodes, Hammond Organ, vocals, percussion
Gary Clark Jr., guitar
Josh Connelly, guitar
BK Jackson, tenor saxophone
Dan Oestreicher, baritone saxophone
Chris Seefried, bass, guitar
Brandon Butler, synth bass, Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes
Mike Bass-Bailey, bass
Alvin Ford, drums
Lauren Daigle, vocals
Stefan Abingdon, backing vocals
Chris Pierce, backing vocals
Lady Blackbird, backing vocals
Raion Ramsey, backing vocals
Tracci Lee, backing vocals
Troy Andrews, backing vocals
>Derek Thomas, backing vocals