Trombone Shorty is the stage name of New Orleans' trombonist, composer, bandleader, author, and philanthropist Troy Andrews. A childhood prodigy, he debuted with Bo Diddley at age four, was leading his own brass band at six, and touring with Lenny Kravitz at 13. Andrews' inimitable sound is fat, brash, and aggressive one moment, and warm, moaning, and sweet the next. His encyclopedic knowledge of the brass band tradition allows him to play the repertoire straight as well as integrating it in his own compositions with funk, jazz, rock, hip-hop, soul, and blues. His debut, Trombone Shorty's Swingin' Gate, was released in 2002. He signed to Verve Forecast for 2010's major-label breakthrough, Backatown, followed by For True the following year, and Say That to Say This in 2013. All topped the contemporary jazz album charts and won global notice. Fiercely devoted to his Treme neighborhood, Andrews created the Trombone Shorty Foundation, personally donating quality instruments to local schools and individuals. In 2015, he published Trombone Shorty. He signed to Blue Note for 2017's Parking Lot Symphony, which spent seven weeks atop the contemporary jazz charts. Andrews' second kids' book, The 5 O'Clock Band, was published in 2018. Lifted, his second Blue Note album, appeared in 2022.