Trombone Shorty Backatown (4.5*)
I was working away transferring data when a run through Backatown finished and crossfaded into Allen Toussaint without Hughesy noting the change. If you saw the recent Make It Funky New Orleans concert/doco on the ABC you'd have seen this dude wailing on trumpet and trombone, and would doubtless be wondering where the Shorty comes from. The explanation lies in a four-year-old marching in a street parade playing a trombone twice as long as he was, which also gives an idea of how firmly Troy Andrews is wedged into the musical culture of New Orleans' Tremé, allegedly the oldest black neighborhood in the U.S.A. That's not to suggest that we're talking hidebound tradition here. Apart from the cover of Allen Toussaint's classic On Your Way Down with Toussaint sitting in on piano, the album is comprised of originals with elements from all over the musical shop with elements drawn from rap, hip--hop, soul, funk and rock and filtered through a New Orleans sensibility. Definitely one to investigate.