Trombone Shorty and Mavis Staples to Celebrate New Orleans at NJPAC
Trombone Shorty's brass band Orleans Avenue and Mavis Staples perform at NJPAC's Prudential Hall in Newark.
Trombone Shorty and his brass band Orleans Avenue, joined by Mavis Staples, are set to perform a one-night concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on October 23, 2026. The show, scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Prudential Hall, brings together two Grammy-winning artists whose work draws heavily from New Orleans musical traditions spanning funk, blues, gospel, and R&B. Trombone Shorty, born Troy Andrews, received a Grammy nomination this year for his album SECOND LINE SUNDAY, while Staples, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement honoree, earned two additional Grammy Awards in 2026 for her album SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD. Tickets are on sale now through NJPAC.org, by phone at 888.466.5722, or at the NJPAC box office at 1 Center Street, Newark.
Breathing new life into the brass band tradition, Trombone Shorty's sound swirls together funk, rock, blues, jazzy improvisational genius and all the joyful swagger of hip hop. This year, the GRAMMY winner received a fifth nomination for his exhilarating album Second Line Sunday. Wherever he performs — the White House, the Super Bowl, MSG, even Sesame Street — New Orleans is in the house.
Mavis Staples is a national treasure. In 2026, the R&B and gospel powerhouse added two more GRAMMY Awards to her shelf, thanks to her 15th solo album, Sad and Beautiful World.
About Trombone Shorty
Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. Since 2010, he's released five chart topping studio albums (his most recent being 2022's Lifted); toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless more; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival; performed four times at the GRAMMY Awards, six times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows, and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet; launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children's book.
In New Orleans, Shorty now leads his own Mardi Gras parade atop a giant float crafted in his likeness, hosts the annual Treme Threauxdown shows that have drawn guests including Usher, Nick Jonas, Dierks Bentley, Andra Day, and Leon Bridges to sit in with his band, and has taken over the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival's hallowed final set, which has seen him closing out the internationally renowned gathering after performances by the likes of Neil Young, the Black Keys, and Kings of Leon.
In addition to touring across the globe nearly year-round, Trombone Shorty has started a very special tradition: a cultural exchange trip to Cuba with his Trombone Shorty Foundation. The fourth trip of his kind took place in January of 2025, and included an ever-expanding group of special guest artists who joined Shorty and his Foundation to host workshops and play concerts in Cuba over 5 days, as well as nearly 100 students. These exchange programs have previously been featured on NPR and CBS Mornings.
About Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is one of America's most enduring musical figures. Now 86, Mavis has been performing since the age of eight. Beginning with her father Roebuck 'Pops' Staples and her siblings in The Staple Singers, she remains the group's last surviving member — still carrying her family's legacy of music and activism. Inducted into the Blues, Rock, and Gospel Halls of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honoree, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Mavis has collaborated with Dylan, Prince, Aretha, Willie, and countless artists across generations.
After more than 70 years, Mavis remains one of the most recognizable and revered voices in music — an artist whose moral authority and musical artistry are inseparable. She lived through the Jim Crow South, marched for freedom, sang for Dr. King, and helped shape the soundtrack of the civil rights movement.
Though she once considered retiring, Mavis still tours and records, returning to festivals like Newport Folk, where younger artists kneel before her in reverence. Still evolving, still believing, still singing the truth, Mavis Staples continues to make music and history.
About TD Bank
TD Bank U.S. is a leading U.S. bank with more than 10 million clients and a network of approximately 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Carolinas and Florida. TD Bank U.S. is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S. by assets and is headquartered in Mount Laurel, N.J. More information is available at www.td.com/us. TD Bank U.S. is a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank, the sixth largest bank in North America by assets. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol 'TD.'
About NJPAC
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is an anchor cultural institution for both the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey. It is an artistic, cultural, educational and civic center where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings communities together both on and off its campus — on stages, in schools and community settings — providing access to the arts for all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Social Impact programs, NJPAC leverages the arts to advance positive outcomes in education, health and well-being, civic engagement and community development. NJPAC has attracted more than 12.7 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997. More information is available at njpac.org.
The concert is sponsored in part by TD Bank. NJPAC is located at One Center Street in Newark, New Jersey.
