TROMBONE SHORTY

Music featuring a single trombone precedes Dion Graham’s narration of this picture-book autobiography by "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a New Orleans native and Grammy Award-nominated musician. Then, the first words of the audiobook—“Where y’at?”—greet listeners with an energetic New Orleans welcome. Graham draws listeners of all ages into an experience that’s lyrical in word, illustration, and music. His dynamic reading blends with Andrews’s words and music to dramatize everything from Shorty’s weak initial efforts on the trombone to the crowds who roar with pleasure as he shares the stage with Bo Diddley. Andrews refers to creating "a musical gumbo," and the metaphor represents this audiobook perfectly. There is the richness, variety, and spice of this New Orleans dish in Bryan Collier’s mixed-media illustrations, the vocal range of Graham’s reading, and the lively music and animated soundscape. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2017 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2017]