I can officially cross the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Festival off of my bucket list. I knew I
was in for a good weekend when, walking around Friday night when my trip had
just started, I overheard a guy say to his friends, “we weren’t planning on
being this tired and hungover.” I have
learned that Jazz Fest is a marathon of music and you need to pace
yourself. So, as I look back on what was
a fantastic weekend at the Fair Grounds Race Course, I wanted to share what
were some truly great live music memories.
Before I even made it over the festival, I stopped by what
would become my home base on Desoto St. for the next 48 hours. A place where other like-minded people would
congregate, as well as prepare for and break-down all of the music that was
about to be seen (or had already been heard).
Over food and drinks recommendations, suggestions are made and you can
luckily be introduced to bands that you want to see again. For me that was
- Tin Men, self-proclaimed America's premier sousaphone, washboard and guitar trio, although they mentioned an unnamed Wisconsin band on their heels.
- The Treme Brass Band, who had the Economy Hall Tent in a second line before the first song was even over.
- And Mississippi blues musician Eddie Cotton, who brought energy and style and had me enjoying the blues in a whole new light.
With so much music, of course you are also going to miss
acts – I was told by Eric Z. that I was going to regret not seeing Samantha
Fish, by Bruce that I left too early during Trumpet Mafia’s set, and by Barry
R. that David Byrne’s performance was a top 5 show of his all-time, but I can
also say that I stumbled across some artists that I am so happy that I got a
chance to see, and had not even planned on:
- Andrew Duhon at Lagniappe Stage where I learned that he has a new album “False River” out on Friday, May 25 and the new single “Comin’ Around”.
- Bonerama at the Gentilly Stage and hearing their song “Mr. Okra”, honoring the beloved and recently deceased singing vegetable vendor.
- And Cha Wa, the New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian group doing their rendition of “Lil Liza Jane”.
Speaking of “Lil Liza Jane”, it is also not uncommon for
artists to perform songs other than their own at Jazz Fest, and the most
notable that I heard over the weekend were:
- Bonnie Raitt “Need You Tonight” (INXS)
- Cynthia Girtley “When The Saints Go Marching In” (Paramount Jubilee Singers)
- And Henry Butler (a name that you will hear again) & The Jambalaya Band “Iko Iko” (Sugar Boy and his Cane Cutters)
I also thought of how my wife and boys would handle being at
the Fest from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and on Sunday I got a taste when Josh L.
brought his two children and the day was a success! I can honestly say that Jazz Fest is truly a
family event and I had awesome musician sightings on & off-stage that
exemplified why this is truly a family event:
- Ben Ellman, saxophonist for Galactic/New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, with his family at the Kids Tent watching the Ashe Cultural Arts Center Kuumba Institute drummers & dancers.
- Ben Schenck, clarinetist for the Panorama Jazz Band, walking with his family between the Jazz & Heritage Stage and Lagniappe Stage.
- And members of the Original Pinettes Brass Band (New Orleans only all-female brass band) right alongside me (& Mr. Footwork) at the Acura Stage watching the Hot 8 Brass Band.
The day after the music, Josh L. and I found ourselves in
the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans where we unbelievably saw a man that we
had seen the past two days in a bow tie and blazer. We stopped him long enough to question where
his uniform was on yet another 80 degree day, but more importantly this
reminded me ow how small a town New Orleans can be. There is a comradery amongst the musicians
and you will often see some of the same musicians sit in with each other. Favorite moments for me were:
- Aurora Nealand playing with her own band The Royal Roses, but also adding clarinet for the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars
- Steven Bernstein raising the bar with his slide trumpet with both the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars as well as Henry Butler & The Jambalaya Band
- And Henry Butler with his Jambalaya Band as well as sitting in on an a stellar Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton.
To try and wrap up what was an incredible few days in the
Crescent City, Leron F. pulled a beer out of the fridge on Desoto St and handed
it to me with a smile on his face and said, “How about a Dixie Lager? It’s perfect for right now.”
Thanks for reading.
