Wow, for the second year in a row, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will be appearing at the Lowell Summer Music Series on Thursday, August 13! I see this band every chance I can, and this Series is perhaps my favorite place to see them!

“New Orleans native Trombone Shorty began his career as a bandleader at the young age of six, toured internationally at age 12, and spent his teens playing with various brass bands throughout New Orleans and touring worldwide with Lenny Kravitz. He fronts Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, a funk/rock/jazz/hip-hop band. Together they have toured across the U.S., Europe, Australia, Russia, Japan and Brazil.

Trombone Shorty (Official Photo)

“In 2010, Trombone Shorty released his debut album, the Grammy®-nominated “Backatown,” followed by “For True” in 2011, which topped Billboard magazine’s Contemporary Jazz Chart for 12 weeks. His newest album, “Say That to This,” was released in 2013 and features funk/jazz elements of New Orleans.

“In 2012, he received the President’s Medal from Tulane University in recognition of his charitable work with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which donates quality instruments to schools across New Orleans.”

Tickets for the Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue show are priced at $34 in advance (fee-free!), $40 on the day of the show (if available) and children 12 and under are always free courtesy of Eastern Bank. There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the Series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $134. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 8 at 9 a.m. through Lowell Summer Music Series.

For those of you who are unaware of the  Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable.

Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.

The Series generally runs from late June to early September.

This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be another excellent year!

I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.

Shows announced to date are:

June 19 (Friday) – Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang

June 20 (Saturday) – Ani DiFranco

June 26 (Friday) – Mike Gordon

July 9 (Thursday) – The Wood Brothers with Tall Heights

July 10 (Friday) – Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo

July 17 (Friday) – Chris Robinson Brotherhood

July 18 (Saturday) – Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam

July 30 (Thursday) – Tower of Power

July 31 (Friday) – The Official Blues Brothers Revue

August 1 (Saturday) – Gordon Lightfoot

August 7 (Friday) – Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

August 13 (Thursday) – Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue

August 14 (Friday) – Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers

August 27 (Thursday) – John Hiatt & The Combo and the Taj Mahal Trio

August 28 (Friday) – Lake Street Dive

August 29 (Saturday) – Melissa Etheridge