Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took center stage last Thursday night at Wolf Trap but it was Trombone Shorty (a.k.a Troy Andrews) and Orleans Avenue who got things started. Their a ferocious blend of rock, funk and jazz with powerful instrumentals that really caught your attention.
Trombone Shorty’s sound reminded me of football music. They have a sort of Sam Spence, jazzy, swing, rock combination going. Instrumentals like “Backatown” and “Hurricane Season” in particular sounded like a backdrop score on an NFL Films reel. In the song “Hurricane Season” Troy does this technique where he extends a note for a prolonged period of time and flutters the trumpet like its a flute.
In addition to having some great instrumentals Troy Andrews also lets loose on the lyrical end. He has these jazzy, hip hop tenor vocals with a lot of soul and a lot of swing. It can be heard on songs like “Fire & Brimstone.” It’s reminiscent of Stevie Wonder or Al Green.
When Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took the stage there was this transition into a pure rock sound. You know; those hard blues folk ballads. I particularly enjoyed the gospel style organ. It mixes really well with rock n’ roll. There were all types of sounds coming out of that organ, she was even able to make her organ sound like a jazz flute. The organ is such a fascinating instrument. When I think of Grace Potter I think of her organ playing. Not to mention she’s playing organ and singing at the same time; that’s not the easiest thing to do!
She sung epic ballads like “Stars” that sounded sort of Elton John-ish. Her voice roared and it carried well. I like how clear she sounded and her pitch range was incredible. They did a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “Feed Your Head” that was off the charts.
This show was beyond just entertainment; it was an experience! She has such a positive spirit, like a country girl just trying to have fun. She must of did at least a quadruple encore, that’s when she performed “The Lion, The Beast, The Beat.” You just got the sense she was riding a lion, proclaiming her musical call.
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