Trombone Shorty teams with Los Amigos Invisibles for February 2011 tour

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE JOIN FORCES WITH LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES; CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES SET FOR FEBRUARY 2011

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue join forces with Los Amigos Invisibles for what promises to be a knockout, high-energy tour that celebrates the new year. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, the fast-rising 24-year-old funk/rock star, has kicked his already impressive career into high gear worldwide with the release of Backatown, his Verve Forecast debut in April of this year. Los Amigos Invisibles, the Grammy-nominated, Venezuelan-rooted, New York City-based Latin-funk sextet, are sure to be the perfect match to create an explosive mix of musical and cultural styles destined to wring every bit of energy out of their audiences.

The February co-headline tour includes such highlights as a double bill at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore Auditorium, a Grammy eve performance at L.A. Live’s Conga Room and a very special show during Fan Appreciation Week celebrating the new Austin City Limits Live venue at Moody Theatre.

Trombone Shorty, who possesses “the presence of a rock star” (The New York Times) and has built his reputation on “blistering, bold, exuberant and cutting edge” (USA Today) live performances, has a style perfectly complemented by co-headliners Los Amigos Invisibles, who “emanate pure Groove . . . walking bass lines, percolating percussion, scratchy guitar and relentless drums of a band that knows no difference between arty fun and sensual fire” (Rolling Stone).

Both artists have developed into global touring machines, each with a high level of swagger and visibility.

Los Amigos Invisibles were originally discovered by David Byrne in a Manhattan record shop. The multi-dimensional disco funk stars signed with Luaka Bop, moved to New York City from their native Venezuela and soon established themselves in the dance music scene with their elevated grooves. Los Amigos have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and played major festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. The band won their first career Latin Grammy in 2009 with an acclaimed studio album, Commercial (Nacional Records), which includes guests Dimitri From Paris and Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade. Their new EP, Not So Commercial, features B-sides and alternate versions from the group’s award-winning album’s studio sessions.

For Trombone Shorty and his six-piece touring band, Orleans Avenue, 2010 was a breakout year. Their live performance schedule caught fire when Backatown debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart, holding the top spot for nine weeks and still in the Top Ten more than six months later. Shorty and the band headlined concerts across North America, including a triumphant set with special guest Mystikal at Jazzfest, a rousing return to Bonnaroo, and a debut performance at the Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival. They made their Japanese debut at the acclaimed Fuji Rock Festival, followed by gigs in Rio and Sao Paolo. After an historic performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival (and breaking the Festival’s all-time CD sales record), Shorty set off on a cross-Europe tour, highlighted by five shows in the coveted opening slot on Jeff Beck’s U.K. tour. This November Shorty and Orleans Avenue support Dave Matthews Band on tour and in December, Troy will serve as curator for the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Red Hot + New Orleans, a premiere concert event dedicated to funding AIDS research.

Trombone Shorty’s visibility quotient on national television continues at an explosive pace including recent appearances on the Late Show With David Letterman, NFL Kickoff 2010, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, Austin City Limits, and HBO’s hit New Orleans drama Tremé. The band’s “Hurricane Season” was heard weekly on MTV’s The Real World, New Orleans as the opening title track and there is much more to come.

Los Amigos Invisibles and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue itinerary:

Mon., Feb. 7 SEATTLE, WA Neumos
Tues., Feb. 8 PORTLAND, OR Dante’s
Wed., Feb. 9 ARCATA, CA Humboldt Brews
Thurs., Feb. 10 SANTA CRUZ, CA The Catalyst
Fri., Feb. 11 SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Fillmore
Sat., Feb. 12 LOS ANGELES, CA Conga Room
Tues., Feb. 15 DENVER, CO Bluebird Theatre
Wed., Feb. 16 BOULDER, CO Fox Theatre
Fri., Feb. 18 AUSTIN, TX Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater
Sat., Feb. 19 HOUSTON, TX House of Blues
Sun., Feb. 20 DALLAS, TX House of Blues
Wed., Feb. 23 ASHEVILLE, NC The Orange Peel
Thurs., Feb 24 ATLANTA, GA Variety Playhouse

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