Troy Sawyer photographed by Kault Photography
Troy Sawyer and the Elementz will perform at the New Orleans Jazz Museum's Balcony Courtyard concert series on Tuesday, January 31st at 5:00 PM CST.
Bring your blanket! Seats are not provided for outdoor programs.
In case of inclement weather, this concert will be moved indoors or rescheduled.
Enjoy jazz music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for their weekly Courtyard Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum’s balcony! Tune in every Tuesday at 5 pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.
Troy Sawyer and the Elementz
Troy Sawyer and the Elementz originated from a trio that rocked the New Orleans music scene after Hurricane Katrina. Their unique sound could be described as a gumbo medley infused with funk, rock, soul, jazz, and latin influence. This energizing concoction will blow your mind and rock your soul. Troy Sawyer, the soulful trumpet player, has displayed a natural leadership and dedication to propelling the group forward. New Orleans’ own, Troy Sawyer and the Elementz, are knocking down the creative barricades to inspire every listener. Troy Sawyer is also the founder of Girls Play Trumpets Too, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that empowers girls ages (8-19) to play the trumpet on a novice and a professional level to enhance equal representation in a male dominant music industry that will be launched in the fall of 2022
Troy Sawyer
Troy Sawyer, the winner of the Outstanding Millennial Award for Music presented by Offbeat magazine, is an accomplished trumpeter, composer, and educator from New Orleans, who is continuing the legacy of his great grandfather, Louis D. James, who played strings with the great Louis Armstrong and co-wrote songs with Buddy Bolden. Through hard work and inspiration, Sawyer has made quite a name for himself through his talent, not only on the Big Easy music scene but on a national and international level as well. From picking up the violin at the age of four to gravitating to the trumpet at the age of nine, to performing in various capacities at St. Augustine High School, the Heritage School of Music, the Satchmo Jazz Camp, touring extensively throughout Spain with One-A-Chord, France with the Voices of the Big Easy and many other places around the world. Troy has played at noted venues and festivals in New Orleans including Tipitina’s, Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club, Snug Harbor, Bacchanal, King Bolden’s, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, Blue Nile, Satchmo Festival, and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Troy has opened for and played with legends Lalah Hathaway, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr, Regina Belle, Bill Summers, Raheem Davaughn, Ruben Studdard, George Lopez, and the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets.
Post-Katrina, Troy spent time performing in Texas before a stint with Blakes Amose’s Brazilian Band in New York City. Troy returned to New Orleans during Mardi Gras 2006 to step out as a bandleader, which gave birth to the creation of the Troy Sawyer Trio and thereafter, Troy Sawyer and the Elementz. Troy Sawyer and the Elementz are the present and the future, with their new sound breaking through New Orleans’ music scene with its funky Latin, jazz, and soul rock fusion sound. Troy Sawyer believes in passing the tradition down to the next generation and giving back to the community, which was taught to him by his mother, Janice E. Sawyer and the great Educators that he has studied with such as Edward “Kidd” Jordan, August Fluery, Ron Banko, Herman Lebeaux, the late Alvin Batiste, and Clyde Kerr Jr. He also studied music at Xavier University, University of Texas, and Southern University where he received his B.A. in Music Education in 2008. As an educator, Troy has taught music in the charter school system for the past nine years. Now residing in the N.O. Musicians’ Village, this dedicated and disciplined player is a consummate student, who isn’t above practicing for hours a day to hone his craft and perfect his technique.