George Porter Jr.- photo by Jeffrey Dupuis
New Orleans exploded with color, drumbeats and heat on April 26th as the 44th annual Jazz and Heritage Festival kicked off at the Fair Grounds Race Course. The first weekend of the Fest oscillated between sunshine and thunderstorms, zydeco and funk, salsa dancing and second line parades…but no matter what stage you found yourself at, it must be counted as a wild (and muddy) success.
Day 1:
Opening the festivities with local funk outfit Flow Tribe was a stellar choice. The Gentilly Stage started with a small, sleepy crowd but charismatic front man K.C. O’Rorke was suited up in canary yellow and ready to groove. Since Jazz Fest itself is such a glorious medley of musical greats, the New Orleans Suspects were a fitting opener for the Acura Stage. With its members coming together from legendary bands The Radiators, The Neville Brothers and Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Suspects represent what makes this Festival what it is – a fusion of talents that creates unique, unrepeatable moments, experienced live.
You can’t call it Jazz Fest without brass. Soul Rebels put in an early afternoon showing and sounded tighter than ever. The crowd particularly loved their deliciously dirty rendition of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, which has also been a big hit at their late night shows. With early showings by Original Dixie Land Brass Band, Brice Miller and Mahogany Brass Band and others, there were more horns then you could count, which is how Jazz Festers like it. Zydeco stand-outs Wayne Toups and Zydecajun blended rock into the usual accordion-laden fare for a fresh sound.
George Benson brought effortless, dreamy jazz to the Congo Square Stage. Couples slow-danced to his sexy rhythms and more than one woman could be heard verifying that Mr. Benson does indeed, “still got it”. Dr. John put in a performance on the Acura Stage that garnered mixed reviews, possibly because he played with his new band, the Nite Trippers, and his jazz trombonist, Sarah Morrow, seemed to take center stage throughout the set.
New Orleans heroes continued to dominate the day anyway, with a ridiculously funky set from George Porter, Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners and Anders Osborne, who killed it with his soulful voice and gut-wrenching licks on the slide guitar. Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi All-Stars joined Osborne onstage for an unforgettable collaboration that people talked about throughout the day.
Headliners Band of Horses played a joyous set with standards like “The Funeral” and “No One’s Gonna Love You” along with some new material. John Mayer redeemed himself for missing last year’s scheduled performance by doing less talking and more guitar- playing, sounding polished and well-rested. But one of Friday’s most memorable moments had to be Austin blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. Due to heavy touring and the 2012 release of his incredible “Blak and Blu” album, Clark Jr. has become a critic’s favorite and was notably moved from last year’s Blues Tent to this year’s Gentilly Stage. With his cool demeanor and eerie stillness, he lets his guitar do all the talking, and it was stunning.
Charles Bradley- photo by Jeffrey Dupuis
Day 2:
On Saturday (or “Billy Joel Day”, as some were prone to call it), sunshine and humidity ushered in a loud mixture of Mardi Gras Indians, jazz bands and delicious smells. Early on, Festers got a taste of rockabilly as Johnny J and the Hitmen got things started at the Acura Stage. John Michael Rouchell gave the crowd a bit of indie-rock with a solid, melodic set that was a nice departure from his work with Mynameisjohnmichael.
As the afternoon heated up, the sounds of up-tempo zydeco filled the air by the Fais-Do-Do Stage as Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers put in an energetic performance. Latin music has been prominently featured and impressive so far this year; the fiery Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra emboldened even non-dancers to swing their hips with their infectious percussion.
Local favorites Rebirth Brass Band set the Congo Square Stage on fire with their signature brass funk sound. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, a powerhouse ensemble that has the uncanny ability to get every single booty in the crowd shakin’, played at the same time as Rebirth and the legendary Allen Toussaint, but still brought in a big crowd.
Those who did sojourn over to the Acura Stage to see Toussaint were not disappointed. Dressed to kill, charming as ever and sounding incredible, Toussaint played only a small fraction of his portfolio of compositions that span decades but the crowd enjoyed every morsel. A rollicking “Lady Marmalade” and exuberant “Yes We Can Can” were just plain fun and had hundreds of people of all ages dancing and grinning; a highlight of the weekend.
And then it was time for Billy Joel. He drew the largest crowd of the day, making it impossible to move anywhere near the stage and causing parts of the throng to begin pushing and cursing at each other. The heat, the waiting, the crowd – totally worth it. With a voice of undeniable strength that’s barely aged and those songs that stand the test of time, he opened with “Movin’ Out” and played hit after hit – “My Life”, “New York State of Mind”, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, “Only the Good Die Young” and on and on. He honored New Orleans by playing with the Preservation Hall Band and scattering references to the Crescent City throughout the set. The crowd swayed in unison as he closed out with – what else? – “The Piano Man”.
One of the acts who held their own while playing at the same time as Joel was the magnificent Jill Scott, who closed the Congo Square Stage. Scott’s voice can be husky, tender and operatic, all in one song, and she is the type of performer you can’t keep your eyes off of. Her confidence and grace emanated off the stage as she sang soulful tracks off “Light of the Sun” and “Who is Jill Scott? Word and Music, Vol. 1”.
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite also drew a large crowd to the Gentilly Stage, mostly staying true to their recent collaboration “Get Up!” Blues legend Musselwhite and Harper stood in mutual admiration of each other as harmonica and guitar blended together in the elation, defiance, and sorrow of the blues.
Many who wandered into the Blues Tent late in the day ended up dumbfounded by Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires. Though he initially appears to be a James Brown impersonator (a gig he has had in the past), his deep, soulful voice shocked those who didn’t know who he was and his performance was nothing short of spectacular. Singing about love and loss and backed by a flawless band, Bradley’s flamboyant outfits and dance moves that no man in his mid-60’s should be able to do brought the house down – a perfect ending to a sweaty, triumphant day.
Khris Royal -photo by Jeffrey Dupuis
Day 3:
The weather had just been too cooperative, so by Sunday it was time to give Festival goers a real taste of New Orleans. The skies turned dark and the rain came. Early in the day, rising star Alinda lee Segarra and her intriguing folk band Hurray for the Riff Raff were the first to brave the onslaught. Remaining poised, the band finished their set while onlookers got soaked.
Conditions didn’t improve much from there but there was a point where the crowds seemed to accept their fate, trudge through the mud and have a hell of a time anyway. Khris Royal, the brilliant young saxophonist, and his band Dark Matter bravely brought the funk to the Gentilly Stage. Soon after, consummate showman Big Sam and his Funky Nation took to Congo Square and whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their explosive mix of funk, rock, and jazz.
An interesting contrast to the brass and funk-heavy afternoon was Tuscon, Arizona band Calexico, whose songs are at times dark and brooding, at others romantic and wistful. A sweet blend of tex/mex, indie rock and Americana, they delivered a welcome burst of diversity to a responsive crowd.
A truly touching moment, which began in the Economy Hall Tent, was the Tremé Brass Band’s tribute to the late Uncle Lionel Batiste, the band’s assistant leader and an iconic figure of brass band culture, who passed away in July of 2012. A second line parade in his honor danced through the festival grounds as the band played gems like “Lil’ Liza Jane” and “Down in the Tremé”.
The Blues Tent was one of the only dry spots at the festival. It got packed for jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins and his latest band, the Barbecue Swingers. Ruffins played with a jubilant and silvery tone, delighting those who had sought refuge from the rain. Once it was time for the great B.B.King to play, it was standing-room only. One of the greatest guitarists of all time, his presence was awe-inducing for many in the tent. The thunder outside only added to the drama. Remaining seated while playing, his guitar wailed and soared, telling stories as only he can. Standouts included “The Thrill is Gone”, “Every Day I Have the Blues”, playing with Allen Toussaint and a nod to New Orleans with “When the Saints Go Marching In” but every moment felt epic to most in attendance.
The weekend came to a muddy close with the largest crowd heading over to see Dave Matthews Band at the Acura Stage, though Earth, Wind and Fire and the Gipsy Kings also drew a respectable number of those who had succumbed to the downpour. Dave Matthews Band got drenched right from the beginning of their set but didn’t flinch as they played to an adoring throng of mud-soaked dancers. It really began to pour as the band played “Louisiana Bayou” and by the time they launched into “Ants Marching”, DMB fans defied the elements by embracing them, many of them purposely sliding in the mud as if it were all part of the scenery. It was, in a word, awesome.
The same type of party was going on at the Gentilly Stage as the Gipsy Kings and their furious flamenco provoked even more mud-wrestling and hand-clapping. Since it’s impossible not to move when you hear their gorgeous intermingling of musical traditions (flamenco, Romani, salsa), they had their own jubilant horde of filthy revelers.
It was a weekend of contrasts and colors at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The upcoming second weekend may have a lot to live up to, but with a lineup that includes Widespread Panic, Jimmy Cliff, Willie Nelson, the Meter Men with Page McConnell, Fleetwood Mac, and more local talent than can even be summed up here…lightening has a good chance of striking twice.
