Arts & Culture

Trombone Shorty to Bring Supafunkrock to the Bluegrass

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Trombone Shorty performing "Fire & Brimstone." A transcript of this video can be found hereVideo courtesy of artist. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 13, 2014) — The University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts will kick off its 2014-2015 season with an artist inspired by such a unique blend of musical genres that he dubbed it a whole new sound. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Tickets for Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will go on sale Monday, June 16.

New Orleans native Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is a rare artist who can draw both the unqualified respect of jazz legends and deliver a high-energy show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars and audiences alike. With an unprecedented mix of rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop and soul, he had to create his own name to describe his signature sound: Supafunkrock! Andrews is the kind of player who comes along maybe once in a generation.

Trombone Shorty began his career as a bandleader at the young age of six, toured internationally at age 12, and spent his teens playing with various brass bands throughout New Orleans and touring worldwide with Lenny Kravitz.

Andrews is currently the front man for his own ensemble Orleans Avenue, a funk/rock/jazz/hip-hop band. Together, Trombone Shorty and the band have toured across the U.S., Europe, Australia, Russia, Japan and Brazil. In 2010, Trombone Shorty released his debut album, the Grammy-nominated "Backatown," followed by "For True" in 2011, which topped Billboard magazine's Contemporary Jazz Chart for 12 weeks. His newest album, "Say That to Say This," was released in 2013 and features funk/jazz elements of New Orleans.

The popular musician has appeared in several episodes of HBO's "Treme," and has recently appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Conan." In 2012, Andrews performed at the White House in honor of Black History Month with such music royalty as B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and Booker T. Jones.

At this year's Grammy Awards, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue performed alongside Madonna, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Mary Lambert.

In 2012, Andrews received the President's Medal from Tulane University in recognition of his charitable work with the Trombone Shorty Foundation. In collaboration with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the Trombone Shorty Foundation donates quality instruments to schools across New Orleans.

Ticket prices are based on seating location and are $27 and $35 plus fees. The tickets can be purchased via phone at the Singletary Center Ticket Office at 859-257-4929, online at www.SCFATickets.com, or in person at the ticket office.

A part of the UK College of Fine Arts, the Singletary Center for the Arts presents and hosts around 400 artistic, cultural and educational events annually for the university community, Lexington community, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu