Happy Birthday, James Andrews!
John Dunlop
Trumpeter and vocalist James Andrews was born in New Orleans on January 12, 1969, into a musical family that includes his grandfather Jesse Hill, younger brother Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, and cousin to Glen David Andrews and the late Travis "Trumpet Black" Hill. Andrews has the nickname “Satchmo of the Ghetto.” Raised in the Tremé neighborhood, Andrews played in a number of brass bands, including the Treme Brass Band, Junior Olympia Brass Band, and the New Birth Brass Band, before launching his own band, James Andrews and the Crescent City Allstars. He also played with multi-instrumentalist Danny Barker. In 1998, he released the album Satchmo of the Ghetto, which was produced by Allen Toussaint and featured Dr. John on all 11 tracks.
In 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, James Andrews was one of the first musicians to return to New Orleans following the flooding. He and his brother, Trombone Shorty, played at Jackson Square a mere 17 days after Katrina hit the area, and, at a later show at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Andrews was the first to declare "We’re gonna rebuild this city, note by note." Today we wish this incredible performer a very happy birthday!
Photo: http://jamesandrewsmusic.com