One of FestivALL Charleston’s most popular events, the Mayor’s Concert, returns for FestivALL 11 on June 25 at the Clay Center with Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.
Fronted by New Orleans native Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, the band melds funk, rock, jazz and hip-hop, punctuated by a lively brass and percussion ensemble. Andrews, who also sings, began playing at the tender age of 6 and was touring internationally by the time he was 12. He went on to play with brass bands in New Orleans through his teen years and toured worldwide with Lenny Kravitz.
His band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue has toured extensively, both across the United States and throughout the world. The group’s debut album, 2010’s “Backatown,” was nominated for a Grammy and 2011’s “For True” topped the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart for 12 weeks.
Trombone Shorty also has numerous television credits to its name, from appearances on several episodes of HBO’s post-Hurricane Katrina themed show, “Treme,” to performances 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, joining such music greats as B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and Booker T. Jones. He also performed alongside Madonna, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert at the most recent Grammy Awards.
Andrews advocates and supports music education in New Orleans schools through the Trombone Shorty Foundation that donates instruments and in 2012 he was awarded Tulane University’s President’s Medal for his work.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. June 25 concert go on sale 10 a.m. Mar. 16 at the Clay Center, either through its website at www.theclaycenter.org or by calling the box office at 304-561-3570. Ticket prices are $15, $25, $35 and $45.
This year’s concert, presented for the first time in collaboration with the Clay Center, is sponsored by Mayor Danny Jones, Andrew Jordon of Pritchard Mining, Laurance Jones III and AARP.