Jazz Fest Opens Today!
The 39th Annual Jazz Fest opens today to gorgeous skies and springtime excitement in New Orleans. If you ever get the chance to attend one of the weekends of Jazz Fest, do it. There’s no better time in New Orleans. It’s generally a time of joie de vivre, but this year seems particularly special as many New Orleans residents, like Aaron Neville, are finally home and the debacle of Katrina is ebbing some. The Spring continues to bring new growth in flora and fauna, as well as re-built homes and lives with more people and businesses popping up all over the place.
Here’s a sampling of today’s performers….
Gone, Gone, Gone — Robert Plant & Allison Krause
featuring T-Bone Burnett
Earlier Bagdad
Drunken Angel, Susan Cowsill Band
Kim Carson
Angel from Montgomery, Theresa Andersson Group
and the star attraction for tonight’s set, Sheryl Crow (with a nice little NOLA homage):
Love is Free
and on the other stages, a few MM favorites….
The Iguanas
The Zydepunks
Doyle Bramhall, featuring C.C. Adcock (a Lafayette boy):
C. C. Adcock
Ellis Marsalis
Buckwheat Zydeco
Bruce Daigrepont (a great profile that gives you the essence of a Cajun)
Tab Benoit
Terrence Simien (another great Cajun example)
Of course, there is always great Gospel, as well:
Paul Porter & The Christianaires
Should be a great weekend for sun and fun in The Big Easy. Next weekend, AT&T will carry portions of Jazz Fest Live at The Blue Room, so check it out.
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I hope the homes I saw last year at this time
have been repaired.
The last I read is that there are 200,000 people
they needed to get out of the trailers and put
them in housing.
Hope the Jazz Fest is a good one for NO.
morewines - April 25, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I didn’t know you were a Tab Benoit fan! He is my best friend’s brother, so needless to say I practically lived at his house when I was younger. I always remembered him having such a musical presence. Whether it was jamming at a familay Christmas party or playing for Brittany’s wedding Tab always has that guitar attached to him!
P.S. “Mr. B” has begun kicking me! It’s pretty humorous b/c it always seems to happen after I eat something spicy! Doesn’t this kid know he’s a cajun?! Have a great weekend:)
Amy deClouet - April 25, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I have a lobsta claw sticking outta my mouth and the words…”wow…wish I was there formed on my lips”
Tab Benoit! I LOVE HIM. Yup this lil’ ol’ Joisey chick has a few cds I purchased of his from ‘98 when I saw him perform in Breckenridge CO.
Shrewspeaks - April 25, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Hi — been away a while.
Last year I was at Jazzfest, and my dearest friend in the world was supposed to meet me. He never got there, and I finally had the police in Washington DC break into apartment. He had died of a sudden, massive heart attack.
The trip we had planned with so much excitement turned into a very painful experience, obviously. I could barely hear the music, and spent most of the time in NOLA on my cell calling our mutual friends from high school and comforting his sister.
Wherever you are in the cosmos, Richard, I’m so sorry you never got to Jazzfest! Someday I’ll go back, and carry you along in my heart….
If you go, MM, have a fantastic time. The things that stuck with me, during that terrible time last year, were Irma Thomas singing “His Eye is On the Sparrow” (in tribute to Mahalia Jackson), and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas doing a wonderful version of Otis Redding’s “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa Song”…..
Colette - April 26, 2008 at 1:13 am