Isaiah “Prince Trombone” Robinson serenades passing motorists as fellow musician, Robert Johnson III, accompanies him on an electric drum outside The National in the 700 block of East Broad Street. The venue currently is closed because of the coronavirus. The two 23- year-old musicians began their impromptu concerts after they were laid off from their full-time gigs. Their goal: To deliver some upbeat sounds to counter the pandemic’s gloom and to possibly earn some spare change from the few pedestrians in Downtown. Other in Richmond musicians have been sharing their talents on their porches or in parks. One example is saxophonist James “Plunky” Branch, who regularly turns his porch into a solo concert platform for those within earshot in his West End neighborhood.
