All that jazz

Trombone Shorty warms up for Mardi Gras in Houston

It's not surprising that New Orleans-born trombonist and trumpeter Trombone Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) would distance himself from a hometown filled with jazz and brass-blowing talent. The music has been in his blood for generations.

Shorty is the brother of bandleader James Andrews and the grandson of R&B singer/songwriter Jessie Hill, who played drums for Professor Longhair and wrote songs for Ike & Tina Turner and Willie Nelson half-a-century ago. Shorty himself wasted no time getting into the family business. As this picture suggests, he was a presence even at age five when he added a jolt of youthful hometown flavor to a performance by Denmark's Carlsberg Brass Band at the 1991 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Shorty, who performs on Saturday night at the House of Blues, graduated from the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (fellow alumnus include Harry Connick Jr. and Wynton Marsalis) and started getting noticed in recent years playing backing horns for Lenny Kravitz and participating in a few of the post-Hurricane Katrina all-star tribute albums in support of the town he still called home.

Absolutely no one, however, could have predicted the last year of uber-success that Trombone Shorty and his band, Orleans Revue, have enjoyed. The band's debut major label release, Backatown, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts and took residence in the spot for two months.

Since then, Shorty has traveled from the Austin City Limits Music Festival to Japan performing and blowing his horns on new and upcoming albums by Kravitz, Galactic, Dr. John, Eric Clapton and more.

Now, just in time to warm up for a long weekend of great weather and a pre- Mardi Gras party, he brings his jazz pipes to Houston. Let's get out there and show Shorty that the Gulf Coast groove doesn't stop at the Louisiana border.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Revue, 8 p.m. Saturday at House of Blues

Tickets: $15-$20

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"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp