This will be down right nasty. From Galactic, we have Shamarr Allen coming to play OTP. This trumpeter has done so many amazing things in his career and we are fortunate for him to share his gift with us. Should be a funky New Orleans dance party!!! – Music has been a part of Shamarr Allen’s life for as long as he can recall. A musical prodigy, people have forever recognized his extraordinary talents as a musician. Shamarr’s countless career accomplishments, are highlighted by performances with artists Patti LaBelle, Lenny Kravitz, Harry Connick Jr., Branford Marsalis, and a multi-city tour and studio recordings with country legend Will Nelson, Ray Price, Leon Russell, and R.E.M. His personal compositions include music for the New Orleans Saints, “Bring Em To The Dome,” the ecologically conscious oil spill record, “Sorry Ain’t Enough No More.” – “Many New Orleans musicians blend jazz and brass band music with bounce, hip-hop, funk, soul, R&B and more. Shamarr Allen has a name for his blend: True Orleans.” – Will Coviello, Gambit Weekly “The song (The Greatest Place in the World) is an upbeat celebration all things New Orleans, including music, Mardi Gras Indian culture, boiled crawfish, New Orleans Saints fans and just hanging out and greeting neighbors on street corners. Most of the album bursts with local pride, but Allen’s tell-it-like-it-is candor ranges from humorous laments about parking tickets to addressing New Orleans’ racial tensions, as on “Colorblind.”” – Will Coviello, Gambit Weekly “On the album, “Weekend Dance” evokes a Big Easy version of Twenty-One Pilots. Horns and hip-hop intermingle on “Keep Up” and elsewhere, traditional and modern New Orleans music are mixed together.” – Keith Spera, New Orleans Advocate “The first song, “The Greatest Place in the World (feat. Big Freedia)” mentions many things that make New Orleans great such as jazz, bounce and crawfish. The track is infused with trumpet solos and fun lyrics such as, “The city where grandma is gettin’ down in the kitchen / City where musicians can actually make a livin.’” This song sets a tone for the rest of the album that is unequivocally New Orleans.” – Bryce Berman, Offbeat “Shamarr Allen has proven his musical chops by performing non-stop in many of New Orleans’ most prestigious clubs.” – Emily Hingle, Where Y’At Magazine “… Allen’s brass- and trap-influenced “Hit the Sean Payton” with DJ DNA is a sharp, straight- forward earworm and a teaser for his 2018 album True Orleans.” – Alex Woodward, Gambit Weekly Shamarr has been referenced as: “Multithreat New Orleans instrumentalist and vocalist” – Keith Spera, New Orleans Advocate