To quote John Swenson, “Other New Orleans musicians have taken the path traversed by Louis Armstrong, and moved away to find their audience. There are a handful of local musicians who have built global careers on their music—off the top of the head you can mention Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, Big Freedia, Mystikal, Lil’ Wayne, Master P and a few others.

“One young musician, however, stands out as a millennial version of the traditional New Orleans musicians known around the world—icons like Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Fats Domino. Troy Andrews, a.k.a. Trombone Shorty, is New Orleans musical royalty—the younger brother of James Andrews; cousin to Glen David Andrews and a host of other musicians; the grandson of the great Jessie Hill; blood relation to Mahalia Jackson and, some say, Armstrong himself.”

Photo by Miranda Barnes via Instagram/Vanity Fair

Trombone Shorty can now add a Vanity Fair feature by Brett Martin to his list of accolades. He was photographed by Miranda Barnes, a Caribbean American photographer born in Brooklyn, New York.

In the article, Andrews talks about the “bittersweet bliss of being a standard-bearer for a city’s sound.” He talks about legends Wynton Marsalis, his education at NOCCA and about growing up in Treme. “I had friends who relied too much on natural ability, which can only take you so far. And I’ve got friends that became too much technicians and don’t know how to shut that off,” he says. “My goal from a very young age was to maintain where I came from, but enhance it and learn.”

In a bold declaration, Andrews tells Vanity Fair, ““I always wanted to let New Orleans know that I’m not going to have to leave to represent this place,” he says. “I want to be the person to make people in New York and L.A. feel like they should be here.”

Read the Vanity Fair profile here.