Released twenty years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Crescent City, Second Line Sunday, the new collaboration from Trombone Shorty and New Breed Brass Band, is more than just a party; it’s a reflection on culture and tradition, on family and community, on survival and resilience. This vital, joyous tribute to the music that Trombone Shorty grew up on features ten new original songs and will be released this Friday, August 29. A 4-time GRAMMY nominee and one of New Orleans’ most celebrated cultural ambassadors, Trombone Shorty has also dedicated this album to his mother, who first exposed him to the important New Orleans tradition and music of brass bands and the second line. The album was produced and arranged by Trombone Shorty, and recorded at his Buckjump Studios in New Orleans.
“This album is a celebration of everything we thought we lost,” says Trombone Shorty. “It’s a celebration of all that we’ve been through and all that we’ve learned along the way. It’s a celebration of New Orleans.”
New Breed Brass Band is led by snare drummer Jenard Andrews, who is also Trombone Shorty’s nephew. “We wanted to make something that could be played in the streets,” says Andrews. “That’s where we all come from, and it was important for us to honor our roots with this record.” The mission statement of Second Line Sunday is clear from the first downbeat of opener “Line Em Up,” a blast of swinging percussion and horns that beckons fans to grab the nearest parasol and strut. The track features a trumpet solo from Shorty as well.
Listen to “Line Em Up” here and on YouTube
While New Breed Brass Band made their performance debut in 2013 and have been a fixture of the New Orleans’ scene since, both on the street and the stage, they didn’t release their studio album debut until 2023: Made In New Orleans would go on to earn a GRAMMY nomination. Last year’s Live At The 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival LP earned the group a second nomination. Both albums featured special appearances by Trombone Shorty.
Second Line Sunday is bursting with pride for New Orleans and the Treme, the 6th Ward neighborhood where the Andrews family is from. “Tambourine and Fan” is a tribute to a camp in the Treme that neighborhood kids, including Jenard, attended, where they were taught about black history and second line culture. On “6th Ward,” they chose to shine the spotlight on the bass drum, a shift from most brass band music where the snare leads the percussion section. “Rock the Beat” features singing and rapping, fusing R&B and hip hop over a second line beat. The sequencing is carefully curated to transport listeners into the heart of the action, tracing the emotional arc of a second line parade from its swaggering start to its funky, freewheeling finish. The result is a spiritual experience as much as it is an album, a joyous cultural travelogue that showcases some of modern New Orleans’ brightest stars paying homage to the scene that raised them, while at the same time pushing it forward with their own distinctive style and sound.
The new album arrives on the heels of a huge year for Trombone Shorty: he kicked things off by performing “America The Beautiful” at the Super Bowl, which was hosted in New Orleans. His Trombone Shorty Foundation led their 4th cultural exchange trip to Cuba with a host of special guests including Cimafunk, George Clinton, Taj Mahal, Yola and Robert Randolph. Shorty then brought Mardi Gras on the road with his second annual Shorty Gras tour, headlined shows including The Greek in Los Angeles, and joined the Mumford & Sons’ star-studded Railroad Revival Tour this summer as well. Shorty also recently appeared on the cover of Garden & Gun Magazine, and performed the hallowed final set of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May, as he has for the past 11 years.
Second Line Sunday - track list:
Line Em Up
Good Time
Tambourine and Fan
Party Pack
6th Ward
Rock the Boat
Street Music
Way Downtown
Under the Bridge
End of the Line
