Backatown
Encyclopedia
Backatown is an album released by jazz
musician Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews. The album was released in 2010 on Verve Forecast Records
and was produced by Galactic
's Ben Ellman. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart
and was nominated for the 2011
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album
.
debut. The tracks "In the 6th", "Hurricane Season" and "Backatown" pay homage to the culture and neighborhoods of New Orleans, Andrews hometown. He refers to his diverse musical style as 'supafunkrock'.
The album was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album but lost to the Stanley Clarke
album The Stanley Clarke Band
. The other nominees were Never Can Say Goodbye
by Joey DeFrancesco
, Now Is the Time
by Jeff Lorber
, and To the One
by John McLaughlin
.
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Andrews is supported by his band Orleans Avenue; bassist Mike Ballard, guitarist Pete Murano, saxophonist
Dan Oestreicher, drummer Joey Peebles, and percussionist Dwayne Williams. Andrews plays both trombone
and trumpet and provides lead vocals
on the five tracks with lyrics.
Guest musicians also contribute to the album's sound. Lenny Kravitz
, who Andrews once apprenticed under as a member of his backing band
, plays guitar and sings backup on "Something Beautiful". Marc Broussard contributes backing vocals on "Right to Complain". Allen Toussaint
plays piano on the only cover
on the album, a reworking of his own "On Your Way Down".
that the album is "more polished and less thrilling than Trombone Shorty’s live shows" but goes on to call it "firm in its purpose with swagger to spare". He closed his review with "It’s a sound born of New Orleans, unmistakably, and if it heralds an ambitious ascent, it also attests to an unbroken spirit."
Noting the wide appeal of Backatown, Carla Meyer of The Sacramento Bee
wrote that it "provides comfort for fans of jazz, rock, pop, funk and however you want to classify James Bond theme music". Geoffrey Himes of the The Washington Post
compared Andrews's vocals to Stevie Wonder
and noted that the album has "second-line rhythm that could only come from New Orleans".
Thom Jurek of Allmusic called the music "aural gumbo" and the album a "fingerpopping, butt-shakin' mix set" that "crackles and burns with an unburdened, unfettered, passionate live feel". He went on to call it "everything popular American music should be". Will Hermes of Rolling Stone
said the album is "both deeply rooted and culturally omnivorous" and referred to Andrews as "a Katrina survivor trying to hold on to the old while building the new".
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews. The album was released in 2010 on Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records is a record label specializing in cutting-edge material which was founded in 1967 by Verve Records and since been revived twice....
and was produced by Galactic
Galactic
Galactic is a funk and jazz jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Origins and background:Originally formed in 1994 as an octet and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio,...
's Ben Ellman. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
and was nominated for the 2011
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality contemporary jazz performances...
.
Overview
Backatown represents Andrews's national and major labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
debut. The tracks "In the 6th", "Hurricane Season" and "Backatown" pay homage to the culture and neighborhoods of New Orleans, Andrews hometown. He refers to his diverse musical style as 'supafunkrock'.
The album was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album but lost to the Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
album The Stanley Clarke Band
The Stanley Clarke Band
The Stanley Clarke Band is an album by jazz bassist Stanley Clarke. It was released by Heads Up Record in June 2010 and was produced by Clarke and Lenny White. Band members include Ruslan Sirota on keyboard, Ronald Bruner, Jr. on drums and Hiromi on piano...
. The other nominees were Never Can Say Goodbye
Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson
Jeff Simon wrote a mixed review for the The Buffalo News. He lamented that Jackson's "music isn’t nearly as adaptable to chitlin circuit Hammond B-3 wails and screams and staccato stabs as you might assume" and the songs "are just a little too pretty for this kind of organ funk"...
by Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco is an American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist. Down Beat's Critics and Readers Poll selected him as the top jazz organist every year since 2003.DeFrancesco was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania...
, Now Is the Time
Now Is the Time (Jeff Lorber Fusion album)
Now Is the Time is a jazz album released by Jeff Lorber Fusion. The album was released in 2010 on Heads Up Records and was produced by Jeff Lorber, Bobby Colomby, and Jimmy Haslip. It was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album....
by Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....
, and To the One
To the One
To the One is an album released by British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. It is his first album with his band, the 4th Dimension. The album was released in 2010 on Abstract Logix Records and was produced by McLaughlin...
by John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
.
The band
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Dan Oestreicher, drummer Joey Peebles, and percussionist Dwayne Williams. Andrews plays both trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and trumpet and provides lead vocals
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
on the five tracks with lyrics.
Guest musicians also contribute to the album's sound. Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, who Andrews once apprenticed under as a member of his backing band
Backup band
A backing band or backup band is a musical ensemble that accompanies an artist at a live performance or on a recording. This can either be an established, long-standing group that has little or no change in membership, or it may be an ad hoc group assembled for a single show or a single recording...
, plays guitar and sings backup on "Something Beautiful". Marc Broussard contributes backing vocals on "Right to Complain". Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
plays piano on the only cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
on the album, a reworking of his own "On Your Way Down".
Reception
Nate Chinen quipped in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that the album is "more polished and less thrilling than Trombone Shorty’s live shows" but goes on to call it "firm in its purpose with swagger to spare". He closed his review with "It’s a sound born of New Orleans, unmistakably, and if it heralds an ambitious ascent, it also attests to an unbroken spirit."
Noting the wide appeal of Backatown, Carla Meyer of The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...
wrote that it "provides comfort for fans of jazz, rock, pop, funk and however you want to classify James Bond theme music". Geoffrey Himes of the The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
compared Andrews's vocals to Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and noted that the album has "second-line rhythm that could only come from New Orleans".
Thom Jurek of Allmusic called the music "aural gumbo" and the album a "fingerpopping, butt-shakin' mix set" that "crackles and burns with an unburdened, unfettered, passionate live feel". He went on to call it "everything popular American music should be". Will Hermes of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said the album is "both deeply rooted and culturally omnivorous" and referred to Andrews as "a Katrina survivor trying to hold on to the old while building the new".
Track listing
- "Hurricane Season" (Troy Andrews) 3:20
- "On Your Way Down" (Allen ToussaintAllen ToussaintAllen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
) 3:36 - "Quiet as Kept" (Andrews) 3:05
- "Something Beautiful" (Andrews, Ryan MontbleauRyan MontbleauRyan Michael Montbleau is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He annually tours across the U.S. with the Ryan Montbleau Band.-Background:...
) 3:42 - "Backatown" (Andrews) 2:47
- "Right to Complain" (Andrews, PJ Morton) 2:56
- "Neph" (Andrews) 3:02
- "Suburbia" (Andrews, Mike Ballard, Pete Murano, Joey Peebles) 3:19
- "In the 6th" (Andrews, Dan Oestreicher) 3:17
- "One Night Only (The March)" (Andrews, Montbleau) 2:49
- "Where Y' At" (Andrews, Clarence Slaughter) 2:59
- "Fallin'" (Andrews, Morton) 3:46
- "The Cure" (Andrews, Ballard, Murano) 3:39
- "928 Horn Jam" (Andrews, Oestreicher, Slaughter, Dwayne Williams) 0:55
Credits
- Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, trumpet, drums, percussion, keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, vocals - Mike Ballard – bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
, vocal engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Pete Murano – guitar
- Dan Oestreicher – sax (baritone)Baritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
- Joey Peebles – drums
- Dwayne Williams – percussion
Guest musicians
- Lenny KravitzLenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
– guitar, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Allen ToussaintAllen ToussaintAllen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
– piano - Marc BroussardMarc BroussardMarc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots...
– vocals - Clarence Slaughter – fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Charles Smith – synthesizer bass, vocal engineer
Production
- Ben Ellman – producer, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Dave Barlett – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, management - Matt Cornell – executive producer, management
- Mike Kappus – executive producer, management
- Alexander Alvarez – engineer
- Kyle Lamy – engineer
- Korey Richey – vocal engineer
- Kirk Edwards – photography
- Kevin Reagan – design
- Vartan – art direction
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Billboard Jazz Albums Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
3 |
| Billboard Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
6 |