Mr. Shorty Goes to Washington

Trombone ShortyTrombone Shorty has been invited to the White House Tuesday to play as part of an all-star show honoring Black History Month. The performance, titled “In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues,” will feature Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger, B.B. King and Keb Mo, and more, and it will be streamed live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Because of the show, Shorty will miss Fat Tuesday. “While there’s no place I’d rather be than in New Orleans on Mardi Gras day, it’s truly an honor to be invited to the White House to perform with an all-star cast,” he says via text. “I’ll definitely bring Mardi Gras with me because it’s in my blood. I’m also honored to be able to sit and talk with the First Lady and a group of students about her education program as education has been key in my life.”

Because of the event, Shorty had to cancel a House of Blues appearance, but he will still play the sold-out Tipitina’s Bacchus Bash on Sunday with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Fishbone.