The 5 O'Clock Band

Abrams Books for Young Readers
(pub. 6.19.2018)
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews with Bill Taylor
     Illustrator: Bryan Collier 

C haracter: Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

O verview from the jacket flap: 
     "WHERE Y'AT? WHERE Y'AT? 
      In this companion to the Caldecott Honor-and Coretta Scott King Award-winning TROMBONE SHORTY, join a young musician on a tour of his cherished hometown. After letting his band down by missing rehearsal, a boy called Shorty has some serious questions about what it means to be a leader. He hits the streets of New Orleans to find some answers and to soak up some inspiration. Along the way, he'll meet people who have their own special wisdom to share about being an artist, a leader, and a friend.
     In THE FIVE O'CLOCK BAND, Troy Andrews has crafted another unforgettable love letter to New Orleans, illustrated by the incomparable Bryan Collier."

T antalizing taste: 
      "Tuba Treme placed his giant horn to his lips. The first notes of 'When the Saints Go Marching In' tickled Shorty's ears. Like so many other New Orleans musicians, Shorty had learned how to play his horn with this tune. Pride swelled in Shorty's chest as he and Tuba played the same notes together that Louis Armstrong had played many years before them in these same city streets.
     'Tradition,' Tuba Treme said. 'Every bandleader needs to know where music came from in order to move it forward.'
    'If you understand tradition and you keep it alive, you will be a great bandleader.'"

    
and something more: In the AUTHOR'S NOTE, Trombone Shorty explains that "one of my city's - and our country's - greatest gifts to the world is our music. In New Orleans, we've created musical styles you won't find anywhere else.  We also have our own entirely unique culture, built of rituals and traditions that feel as old as our music... For me, making music represents society functioning at its best. When a group of individuals collaborate in harmony - with sincerity, spirit, and soul - they create something beautiful.  They face and overcome challenges. They aren't afraid to dream for the future. Growing up in Treme, I was encouraged to seek guidance from all the musicians who lived there. So I did."
      A portion of the proceeds of the book are donated to The Trombone Shorty Foundation which has the mission of preserving the rich musical culture of New Orleans, including mentoring young, talented New Orleans students to express themselves and pursue their dreams while also supporting the community.