For True

by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

Overview

New Orleans' Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews knows the music biz inside out. Hounded for years by friends and music business types to jump into the game, he understood the lessons of his lineage elders: too many had been been ripped off and discarded. He took his time, assembling, rehearsing, and touring Orleans Avenue, a band steeped in brass band history, jazz improv, funk, soul, rock, and hip hop. He finally signed to Verve Forecast and released Backatown in April of 2010. Entering at number one on the jazz charts, it stayed there for nine straight weeks, and was in the Top Ten for over six months. For True hits while Backatown is climbing again. Chock-full of cameos it is an extension, but sonically different. It's production is crisper, but the musical diversity more pushes further. In addition to trombone, Shorty plays trumpet, organ, piano, drums, synths, and, of course, sings. Orleans Avenue colors the rest. They are tighter, even more confident, and perhaps even more adventurous here. Though Shorty handles some tracks playing all the instruments himself, or with a guest or two, OA bear the lion's share with gravitas. "Buckjump" is the first clue that this is part two -- it could have been the closing track on Backatown. The Rebirth Brass Band guest and play a big funky horn chart as Shorty's big trombone solo greases the skids. NOLA's Weebie chants in tandem with the break-heavy rhythm track. "Encore" (written with Motown's Lamont Dozier) showcases some of Shorty's B-3 and soulful vocal skills, as Warren Haynes lends his trademark guitar sound. The title track, one of the album's brief musical interludes, features Shorty's solo with a killer trumpet break. "Do to Me" has a melody constructed around Shorty's smoking bone solo and a knife-edged guitar solo from Jeff Beck. "The Craziest Things" and "Dumaine Street" showcase Shorty's and Orleans Avenue's collective ability to create locking, complementary grooves; they play funky second-line rhythms countered by a jazz horn chart and improv in an R&B tune on the former, and a marching stepper on the latter. Ivan and Cyril Neville help with some fine vocal work on "Nervis," and Ledisi's stellar performance on the swinging rhythm & blues "Then There Was You" shines. "Mrs. Orleans" featuring Kid Rock's out-of-place, boisterous rap, could have been left off without the album suffering. The cut "Big 12," with producer Ben Ellman on blues harmonica, is titled for Shorty's older brother James' nickname, it kicks with big bass drums, hi-hat, and snares, locked on horns, rock guitar vamps, and a dubwise bassline. Ultimately, comparing For True to Backatown is pointless: they are of a piece, experimental records that show different sides of his identity besides the one for punchy homegrown R&B he's known for at home; two parts of a compelling, dynamic musical aesthetic firmly in and of the 21st centuryeven whenthey look back at history. ~Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	11/21/2011
Label:	Verve Forecast
UPC:	0602527877297

Tracks

1. Buckjump
2. Encore
3. For True
4. Do to Me
5. Lagniappe
6. The Craziest Thing
7. Dumaine St.
8. Mrs. Orleans
9. Nervis
10. Roses
11. Big 12
12. Unc
13. Then There Was You
14. Lagniappe

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Primary Artist,Drums,Organ,Piano,Vocals,Trumpet,Trombone,Keyboards,Percussion,Synthesizer Bass
Kid Rock   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ivan Neville   Primary Artist,Vocals,Clavinet,Featured Artist
Ledisi   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Warren Haynes   Primary Artist,Guitar,Soloist,Featured Artist
Jeff Beck   Primary Artist,Guitar,Soloist,Featured Artist
Rebirth Brass Band   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
5th Ward Weebie   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Cyril Neville   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Stanton Moore   Drums
Corey Henry   Trombone
Ben Ellman   Harmonica,Percussion
Lenny Kravitz   Bass
Derrick Shezbie   Trumpet
Phil Frazier   Tuba
Glen Andrews   Trumpet
Dwayne Williams   Percussion
Vincent Broussard   Sax (Tenor)
Robert Mercurio   Bass
Stafford Agee   Trombone
Charlie Smith   Percussion
Derrick Tabb   Drums (Snare)
Tim McFatter   Sax (Tenor)
Clarence Slaughter   Sax (Tenor)
Dan Oestreicher   Sax (Baritone)
Joey Peebles   Drums
Pete Murano   Guitar
Keith Frazier   Drums (Bass)
Chaderick Honore   Trumpet
Mike Ballard   Bass

Technical Credits

Kid Rock   Composer
Dahlia Ambach Caplin   A&R
Lamont Dozier   Composer
Drew Ramsey   Composer
Ben Ellman   Engineer,Producer
Shannon Sanders   Composer
Ryan Montbleau   Composer
Rex Rideout   Composer,Vocal Engineer
Alan Branch   Guitar Engineer
David Bianco   Mixing,Engineer
George Drakoulias   Producer
Dave Bianco   Mixing,Engineer
Cyril Neville   Composer
David Ryan Harris   Composer
Alonzo Stevenson   Composer
Meire Murakami   Design
Robert James Ritchie   Composer
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Composer,Instrumentation
Ledisi Young   Composer
Evelyn Morgan   A&R
Ben Lorio   Engineer
Kirk Edwards   Photography
Charles Smith   Vocal Engineer
Clarence Slaughter   Composer
Dan Oestreicher   Composer
Mike Ballard   Composer