There are musical prodigies but few bring as much funk, soul and rhythm to a party such as New Orleans' Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, who is headlining this year's National Jazz Festival. He talks to reporter Kiri Gillespie about leaving his mark on New Zealand's oldest jazz festival.
It's like drinking water. You have to have water every day and music is like water for me. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews IF THERE is one thing Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews has on his bucket list, it's coming to New Zealand.
And he says people had better have their dancing shoes ready.
The 24-year-old trumpet and trombone tooting jazz singer has taken his music all over the globe - but coming to New Zealand will be the real treat, he says.
Andrews is getting off a delayed flight back to his home of New Orleans when he speaks to Bay Beat.
"It's a really busy time. We are doing a bank of show and festivals right now," he says.
Surely all the travelling must take its toll? But Andrews says he will hold up "just fine" for this year's National Jazz Festival in Tauranga - which begins today.
"I've been doing it for years. It's not really affecting me," he says.
Andrews arrives in Tauranga with his band the Orleans Avenue and his "beautiful girls" in tow.
They don't have names but Andrews' trumpet and trombone are his most valued possessions.
"I just call them my beautiful girls," he says. Andrews learned to play drums and a trumpet as a toddler.
By six he was playing trumpet and trombone in his brother's jazz band, then forming his own band with other kids from the famous Treme neighbourhood in New Orleans. They became regulars at Jackson Square, playing for spare change.
These days he is nominated for a Grammy Award and has performed with U2, Lenny Kravitz and "godfather of jazz" Wynton Marsalis.
"I've been playing music since I was four, so it's part of my life. It's all I know. It's just a part of my everyday living," Andrews says.
He was so little when he first started, he was half the size of his instrument.
When people asked "who's that kid?" his brother replied, "well that's Trombone Shorty" - and so the legend that critics describe as "blistering, bold" and "exuberant" was born.
"It's like drinking water. You have to have water every day and music is like water for me. I could just play my horn in my room for 20 minutes a day and I will be happy."
Andrews and his band have played together since they were at school.
Much of their performances are so organic, even he is not sure what to expect at the jazz festival, he says.
"We just let the music take us where we need to be. But what I can say is that it will be very high energy and very funky.
"We will be doing what we do every day in New Orleans, a celebration of good times with music. You had better have your dancing shoes on."
Andrews plays two shows in the festival - his own headline act and a Hurricane Party also offering local talent Sola Rosa, Ddub and Lewis McCullum. The gigs are exclusive to Tauranga, although he says he is keen to travel and explore the country while over here.
Andrews has not been to New Zealand before. It's pretty much the only place he hasn't been, he says.
"I have been everywhere else. I had friends who went over there and they said really good things about it. So we will do whatever we have to do to make it happen. I just want to be able to play over there. I'm ready to come and make a statement."
See Trombone Shorty at the festival's Hurricane Party on Sunday at the Classic Flyers Museum from 5pm to midnight.
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue also perform on Monday at Holy Trinity Church. Tickets for each are available through www.jazz.org.nz
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