Blue Notes: Trombone Shorty, The Meters, and New Orleans funk

Does funk run in families? It certainly seems to in New Orleans. Troy Andrews, better known as Trombone Shorty, is the grandson of Jessie Hill, the drummer, singer and songwriter best remembered for the Crescent City anthem Ooh Poo Pah Doo.

On his latest album, Say That to Say This, Andrews tips his hat to the music of seminal New Orleans funk band The Meters, whose members have included assorted members of the Neville family, also of Neville Brothers fame.

Andrews is a trombonist steeped in the New Orleans tradition of loose collective improvisation, but equally in the tight, percussive horn ensemble playing associated with bands such as Earth Wind and Fire's Phenix Horns, the Tower of Power horn section, and James Brown's band.

There are also echoes of the Wayne Henderson-era Jazz Crusaders/Crusaders, and even Steely Dan in some of the tracks here. A certain tradition of migration between New Orleans and Los Angeles exists among the former city's musicians - Mac "Dr John" Rebennack is a good example - and parts for this album, co-produced by Andrews and multi-instrumentalist Raphael Saadiq, were recorded separately in each city.

On some instrumental tracks the New Orleans elements of Andrews' music particularly come to the fore, but his vocals are also featured prominently, and Saadiq appears to have had a strong influence in bringing more R&B elements to the album while keeping it rooted in vintage funk.

"It's really funky, like James Brown mixed with The Meters and Neville Brothers, with what I do on top, and we have a bit of R&B from Raphael's side," says Andrews. "All the guys in my band are big, big fans of his, so this is a real dream come true for us. And he's a fan of New Orleans brass band music, which I didn't know beforehand."

Saadiq plays and sings on the album, and also co-wrote several songs.