"Be My Lady" - Trombone Shorty

"Be My Lady" (PDF) from the Trombone Shorty album, Say That To Say This.

(2023 revision):
In a 2013 NPR interview, Trombone Shorty described The Meters as “The Beatles to us in New Orleans.” It’s an apt comparison: a seasoned house band aided by a studio production wizard - Allen Toussaint, in this case - that found critical acclaim through commercial success and international performances, ultimately leading to burnout after a decade of creativity. Even the struggle over ownership of the bands’ publishing and recording catalogs is similar, albeit more the product of a crooked music business rather than serendipity. So when Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, and Cyril Neville reunited in a New Orleans studio for the first time in over 30 years to record with Trombone Shorty, it was a pretty big deal.

Trombone Shorty’s version of “Be My Lady” stays true to the original 1977 New Directions recording, with the primary difference being its more-modern arrangement for tiny speakers and earbuds rather than hi-fidelty home stereos and discotheque dance floors. The success of Philadelphia International Records and house bands like M.F.S.B. certainly influenced the Toussaint production, with Oakland’s Tower of Power horn section ornamenting the music. Perhaps another economical sign-of-the-times, Shorty also took it upon himself to re-create all of the T.O.P. horn parts for his own recording.

Recommended reading: Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers.