Montréal Jazz Festival 2025 –Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

On Monday night, as part of the 2025 edition of the Montreal Jazz Fest, Troy Andrews, AKA Trombone Shorty, performed the closing set at the TD Stage with his band, Orleans Avenue.

The New Orleans native made a stop in the 514 as part of his “Might Not Make it Home” Tour, cementing his status as a much-appreciated regular at the legendary Canadian festival. This marked his fourth appearance, and for the first time, he was headlining its biggest stage.

By the time 9 PM rolled around, the iconic Place des Festivals was already packed with more than 20,000 people, all ready to see the legendary musician bring a taste of NOLA to Montreal. He jumped onto the stage after his band, sporting black leather pants and a white tank top, trombone in hand, and a huge smile.

His 90-minute set included songs like “Do To Me,” “Hurricane Season,” and the bass-forward “Fire & Brimstone,” where he switched out the trombone for a mic for most of the song.

My favourite part of the set was when, in true Mardi Gras fashion, in the middle of a medley that included “When The Saints Go Marching In,” he said into the mic, “Montreal, can I take you down to New Orleans?” with the band still keeping the beat behind him. The crowd responded with loud cheers. He grabbed his trombone again and started walking down the stairs of the stage and into the massive crowd, with the band following closely behind. For the remainder of the song, they walked through the crowd playing, which truly transported us to the streets of Louisiana. The iconic brass sounds, jamming with that unmistakable NOLA flair, were truly the heart and soul of what Jazz Fest is all about.

Trombone Shorty has to be up there as one of the best musicians of xour generation. It’s how he and his band make hitting such complex notes look easy, their undeniable chemistry on stage, and how much fun they have while doing it that has cemented him as one of the most iconic and important figures in NOLA music, alongside legends like Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton.

Visit the festival’s website for schedule and ticket information.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE

All Photo Credit: Andres Amaya