Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave

Like Dr. John before him, Trombone Shorty is pop music’s premiere ambassador of New Orleans gris-gris, a lifelong musician steeped in Crescent City lore with widespread appeal to fans who don’t know a beignet from a bayonet. The 31-year-old musician, born Troy Andrews, joined rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley onstage at Jazz Fest at age four and was a member of top second-line crew the Stooges Brass Band by his teens. Since founding his group Orleans Avenue in 2009, “Get Shorty” has become music-biz shorthand for stars in need of a little Big easy flavor — Andrews’s myriad guest shots include Zac Brown Band’s “Overnight,” Foo Fighters’ 2014 album Sonic Highways and even PBS’s Red, White & Blues: In Performance at the White House. In April he released his debut album for iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, Parking Lot Symphony, an exuberant sampler of Shorty’s style that ranges from Usher-esque party-starters like “Here Come the Girls” to the authentic Meters grooves of “Fanfare” and “Like a Dog.”