The sound of New Orleans was brought to Birmingham in the form of Trombone Shorty and his phenomenal band of talent; from the breath-taking vocals of two female backing singers who stunned the crowd all on their own, especially when they delighted us to solos at the end.
A saxophonist who showed us just how important that instrument is and how much mellow power it contributes to the performance as a whole. We flowed from the complex sound of the sax to the electrifying melody of the guitars and my senses were at an all time high as the beat of the drums drowned out the sound of my own heart beat. It was truly an exhilarating performance that had the crowd cheering, dancing and lost in a Jazz frenzy that I’m sure none of us wanted to escape.
I had immersed myself in Trombone Shorty’s music the past month or so and fell in love in an instant, I knew this wasn’t going to be a show to disappoint and it absolutely blew me away!
I was sure there was no way that his lungs could possibly survive such a performance and yet he played with nothing but adrenaline, passion and immense joy and it gave the audience a boost to see that he was riding that high along side us.
Once I got past a few miscommunication issues with the venue, the night became a joy and the show, which was most definitely more that just your standard gig, had not only my hearing entranced but the sheer energy coming from the stage had my eyes glued to the musicians. These are the types of live music events that when you hand over your hard earned money, you can without doubt walk away knowing you got so much more than what you bargained for.
The venue was heaving with euphoric fans, even some very young fans with their parents who I’m sure will remember that night as one of their fondest childhood memories. As for us adults, we were as care free as our fellow junior Jazz supporters singing and immersing ourselves in every melody the night had to offer.
Trombone Shorty is undeniably a musician with talent that dominated the stage, I have never seen an instrument played in a way that was so intense and at times unbelievable to witness.
I was sure there was no way that his lungs could possibly survive such a performance and yet he played with nothing but adrenaline, passion and immense joy and it gave the audience a boost to see that he was riding that high along side us. His voice was just as effortless as when I listened to him sing through my ear phones. I would even say that hearing him live was more gratifying than any recorded version I had enjoyed before.
I will say I did leave this event with very muffled hearing that did thankfully return to normal the following day and has definitely ensured I take some sort of ear defenders to future gigs I attend. Especially my next Trombone Shorty one as I have not been put off by this, only determined to ensure my hearing is still intact by the time he returns to visit us!
Overall I just cant fault the performance, it gave everything live music should offer and I still smile every time I regale my intimate Jazz night in Birmingham to people who ask or even those that don’t and just listen to me bang on about how they should certainly attend the next show because there’s no way that they wouldn’t adore it!
Words and Photos by Wallis Brown for Grapevine Birmingham (https://www.instagram.com/wonderfulyou_xo)