Lifted

by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

Overview

Possibly the most relevant question to ask about Lifted, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews' second Blue Note album is "Are you ready to dance?" "You'd better be" is the only acceptable answer. Despite a shelf full of booty-shaking NOLA jazz-funk releases that draw on many branches of the modern musical tree, Lifted most closely resembles the unbridled energy, joy, and pathos of a Trombone Shorty performance. In the cover photo, his late mom, Lois Nelson Andrews, lifts her young son during a second line parade. She seemingly knows what he will accomplish. Andrews dedicated this album to her memory. Recorded at his Buckjump Studio with producer Chris Seefried, this is Trombone Shorty surrounded by longtime friends, collaborators, and the reality of everyday life in the Treme district that birthed and nurtured him. Album opener "Come Back" offers a syncopated snare wed to a modern gospel brass vamp framing a deep funk-soul that joins honesty, love, loss, and perseverance into an anthem of possibility influenced by Allen Toussaint, Sly Stone, and Curtis Mayfield. Its reverbed chorus vocal, B-3 organ, and ticking drum kit render a mighty groove quotient. "Lie to Me" juxtaposes an Afro-Cubano choral chant with cracking snares and a nasty drop-funk bassline. Andrews leads the horn section playing trumpet and trombone alongside saxophones; the band blends NOLA funk and Caribbean son. "I'm Standing Here" hosts blues-rock guitar ace Gary Clark, Jr. as a guest. His Hendrixian "Manic Depression" vamp undergirds a hard-swinging horn section and vocals chorus as Clark engages in a sky-scorching duo with Andrews. On the gospelized funk of "What It Takes," he duets with award-winning Christian singer Lauren Daigle -- an artist who knows exactly what trial by fire means: She was vilified by her evangelical community after refusing to condemn LGBT+ people. New Breed Brass Band joins on the anthemic "Everybody in the World," infusing second line with hip-hop, funk, and jazz harmony as Shorty testifies with a female backing chorus. Freaky Pete Murano's overdriven electric guitar owns the riff in the title track before the horn section revs up to meet him. The low-down funk in the verse frames the singers, who wrap themselves in the positive lyric message. "Forgiveness" weds breezy soul to modern gospel with glorious vocals, strings, and organ under a rock combo, as Andrews helms the horns. "Might Not Make It Home" draws on the influences of Stevie Wonder and George Clinton's P-Funk with knotty, syncopated horns and Brandon Butler's synth bass. Seefried's production on Lifted is polished, but there isn't anything extra -- it's all New Orleans. While the song lyrics often reveal poignancy and harshness in everyday life, the music made by Trombone Shorty and company is joyous, celebratory, and filled with affirmation, commitment, and infectiously compulsive dance beats. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	04/29/2022
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0602438796915

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Primary Artist,Vocals,Trumpet,Trombone,Percussion,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
New Breed Brass Band   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Gary Clark, Jr.   Primary Artist,Guitar,Featured Artist
Lauren Daigle   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
BK Jackson   Sax (Tenor)
Alvin Ford, Jr.   Drums
Cobi   Vocals (Background)
Josh Connelly   Guitar
Raion Ramsey   Vocals (Background)
Tracci Lee   Vocals (Background)
Tyreek Andrews   Drums,Drums (Bass)
Yirmey Yisrael   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Chris Seefried   Bass,Guitar,Moog Bass,Fender Rhodes
Brandon Butler   Fender Rhodes,Organ (Hammond),Synthesizer Bass
Paul Robertson   Sousaphone
Chris Pierce   Vocals (Background)
Dan Oestreicher   Sax (Baritone)
Pete Murano   Guitar
Stefan Abingdon   Vocals (Background)
Derek Thomas   Vocals (Background)
Lady Blackbird   Vocals (Background)
Mike Bass-Bailey   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Jenard Andrews   Drums (Snare)

Technical Credits

Bernie Grundman   Mastering Engineer
Derrick Thomas   Composer
Charles Smith   Engineer,Recording
Alvin Ford, Jr.   Composer
Cobi   Composer
Josh Connelly   Composer
Seth Atkins Horan   Engineer
Chris Seefried   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Gary Clark, Jr.   Engineer
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Arranger,Composer
Michael P. Smith   Cover Photo
Mikael "Count" Eldridge   Mixing,Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Jacob Schmidt   Composer
Marvin Etzione   Composer
Stefan Abingdon   Composer
Aaron Earl Livingston   Arranger,Composer
Marley Munroe   Composer
Derek Thomas   Composer
Count   Mixing
Rachel Jones   A&R
Justin Seltzer   A&R
Sam Plecker   Composer
Alex Anastasi   A&R
Mike Bass-Bailey   Composer