 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
||||||||
It's a Fest Thing: My Day at the New Orleans Jazz Fest
- by Tod Smith
My Friday started normally enough. I ran some errands, got a haircut, the usual stuff. But in the back of my mind, I knew that this was no ordinary Friday. This was the last Friday in April and to thousands of my contemporaries, we knew it to be the first day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This annual rite of spring has come to be the Holy Grail of festivals for many people from Baton Rouge to Barcelona and all points in between. So, on day one, I felt the need to be a part of the happening.
I arrive early - at least I thought it was early. Gates open at 11:00 a.m. and I found myself waiting in a line about a half-block long at 10:45 a.m. This, I later found to be the result of increased security, a fact with which I dont have a problem. Once inside the festival grounds, the world is literally your oyster, or crawfish, or crab - or any other food you might desire. The twenty-five dollar entry price (eighteen if you were smart enough to buy early) gives you the right to sample music that includes healthy doses of traditional and modern jazz, but on any given day, could include blues, roots music, gospel, zydeco, r&b, reggae or rock. And then there's the food. New Orleans is an eater's paradise and the Jazz Fest is at its core. Music may be my passion, but I was hungry. So, I started with food. Booth after booth lines the perimeter of the festival grounds with a selection that would make any restaurant menu cry uncle. For the less adventurous, try the fried chicken or fried shrimp. For the bold, take a bite of the alligator sauce piquant or the pheasant, quail and sausage gumbo. I opted for the cochon de lait poor boy - a roast pork sandwich on french bread that deserves a column all it's own - and Creole's Stuffed Bread - a baked pastry filled with sausage and beef (I never said that this was a place for the health conscience). My hunger temporarily in check, I moved on. Anyway, this is supposed to be about the music.
My first stop was the WWOZ Jazz Tent. This venue is a must for aficionados - the place to be seen. I arrive just in time to hear Clyde Kerr, Jr. and his quintet finish up a spirit-filled set that stretched the imagination of all but the most ardent fans of free jazz. Mr. Kerr is a local educator and performer who has left his mark on the world of jazz as an instructor at the renowned New Orleans Center for the Creative e Arts (NOCCA). This institution has produced Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Terence Blanchard to name a few. Accompanied by the next generation, Mr. Kerr's performances always gives a glimpse of what the future holds for New Orleans modern jazz. Deciding to stay at the Jazz Tent was easy; finding a good place to sit was becoming impossible.
The early afternoon crowds were pouring in and they all seemed to want to see the next act, Bonerama. We know J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding's experiments with the trombone octet. Now picture J.J and Kai with a heavy dose of New Orleans funk and you have Bonerama. Five trombones, a tuba, guitar and drums, Bonerama is the brainchild of Mark Mullins. Formerly of Harry Connick, Jr.'s funk band and the locally popular funk group Mule Bone, Mullins has assembled a unique blend of musicians making a unique brand of music. As Bonerama kicks off their set, the crowd is standing room only and the remnants of any breeze left with Clyde Kerr. Hot, though it may be, the music is hotter. A 12-minute version of Edgar Winter's Frankenstein was the highlight of a set largely dedicated to originals from the band's first CD, Live at the Old Point. The appreciative crowd fueled the musicians and a standing ovation signaled the set's ending. I then trotted over to Economy Hall, the venue dedicated to preservation of traditional jazz. There, Tim Laughlin and Jack Maheu performed to yet another packed house that even featured swing dancers. I would have joined the dancers, but couldn't find a clear spot on the floor, nor could I dance. Anyway, Laughlin and Maheu had just returned from an engagement in Germany that was recorded and should be released sometime in the near future. There set featured a cover of Ellington's The Mooche that was just this side of perfection. The dancers seemed appreciative. I decided to eat again, but that's another story. Anyway, my day was winding down and I had to get ready for the evening.
One of the cool things about Jazz Fest is that it infects the entire city. On the fairgrounds, the blending of different musical genres creates a uniquely aural experience, while offsite, clubs are filled with talent and people looking for a way to spend an evening. The club scene comes to life and I decided to wrap my day at Donna's Bar & Grill. Picture your aunt Ida's kitchen. Now, picture a stage next to the side by side and you have Donna's. To say it's small is an understatement. But the talent this place attracts is large. Herlin Riley and Wes Anderson were fronting a quartet that featured Roland Guerin on bass and Fred Sanders on piano. I watched with extreme anticipation as Guerin and Sanders moved the piano to make room for Guerin's bass (Did I mention that this place is small?). After the opening two numbers, Night in Tunisia and Blues for the Road, I notice the already overflow crowd is still growing. Looking around and feeling again like I was back at the Fest, I noticed a familiar face - that of Wynton Marsalis. He joins the already crowded bandstand and the group kicks in to high gear. You Don't Know What Love Is, followed by Green Chimneys, Blues at Midnight and Woofin' Blues cause the walls of Donna's to come to life. My evening complete, I can now relish in the thought that Jazz Fest has just started. There would be two weeks of music, both on and off the fairgrounds. If you can't find it somewhere in New Orleans during this two-week period, it doesn't exist. Mark your calendars for next year. It's always the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May.
Did I mention the food? Until next time, See You 'Round About New Orleans.