The Lowell Summer Music Series has announced its second show of the upcoming 25th season and it’s a doozy!

Trombone Shorty (official photo)

Trombone Shorty, an amazing young (28 years old) musician from New Orleans, will be performing at the Series on Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. and I’m thrilled beyond belief!

I have been asking for Trombone Shorty (given name, Troy Andrews) to be added to the schedule for the past four years.  His style is funky jazz, or jazzy funk, with some soul added for good measure. His shows are very high energy and the quality of the music superb. I saw him perform at the 2013 Newport Folk Festival, the Boston House of Blues last month, and in New York three times.

His press release states, “Andrews has made quite an impression on the critics. ‘Trombone Shorty is so ready for his close-up,’ The New York Times reviewer Nate Chinen wrote, describing the young virtuoso as ‘a native prodigy destined for breakout success.’ The San Francisco Chronicle’s Joel Selvin hailed him as ‘New Orleans’ brightest new star in a generation.’ And the Washington Post’s Mike Joyce described one live performance as ‘a near-deafening, funk-charged blast of percussion, brass, reeds and guitar distortion that might have knocked the crowd sideways had there been any room to move.’

I cannot think of a venue in which I’d rather see Trombone Shorty perform!

Tickets for this show are priced at $31 in advance (fee-free!), $35 on the day of the show, 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 $131.  Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 28 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 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 an especially excellent year since they are celebrating their 25th season!

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