We are in the home stretch. Since Jazz Fest doesn’t release daily attendance numbers, it will be all about perception as to whether this Saturday, with headliner Elton John, ends up being more crowded than last Saturday with The Who. Here are our picks for the second weekend. The full Saturday lineup is here.
As with last Saturday getting an early start is imperative to minimizing your time waiting in various lines. Start your day with saxophonist Khris Royal and Dark Matter. He plays with George Porter, Jr. and lots of other bands. Dark Matter is a genre-defying act that can play virtually any style. Since they are opening the day on Congo Square, I would expect the sound to be more funk than jazz.
Helen Gillet has a long time slot beginning at 12:45 PM on the Lagniappe stage. Considering how wide her musical interests are, from French vocal music to avant-garde cello stylings, lots of time is nothing but a good thing. Last year, her set was positively mesmerizing as she looped her own vocals and cello and created something unique.
Jazz Fest has a few one-off acts that are not to be missed. The Midnite Disturbers are an all-star brass band aggregation with some of the best horn players in town. Stanton Moore of Galactic and Kevin O’Day share drum duties.
Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers are now firmly ensconced on the larger Congo Square stage after too many years in the seated confines of the Jazz Tent. Since he can play practically anything, and he’s preceding Big Freedia, the Queen of Bounce, and rap superstar T.I., expect some hip-hop during his set. (Shameless plug—my book about Kermit is available here.)
With the rest of the Fairgrounds packed with Elton John acolytes, Ed Sheeran fans and the aforementioned T.I.’s crowd, you can’t go wrong with the last two acts in the Blues Tent if avoiding crowds is your thing.
However, curiously, neither fit in the blues genre. But suffice it to say that Aaron Neville and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band are international icons. What more do you need to know?
SUNDAY PICKS: Get your day started with some wild drumming and chanting. Kevin Goodman leads the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indians and he is a well-respected vocalist who can be heard from behind the suits with a number of other tribes. Here he’s front and center in a suit of his own creation. The full Sunday lineup is here.
Talk about a double double header in the Jazz Tent—saxophonist Khari Allen Lee and clarinetist Gregory Agid will be presenting the Music of Alvin Batiste and Harold Battiste. The two young reedmen will be paying tribute to two of the most important, yet far-to-under-known, teachers and musicians in our long jazz history.
Scheduling conflicts at the Jazz Fest always have at least some percentage of the hardcore festers up in arms. But I have rarely heard such vitriol following the release of the “cubes” when the reunion of the original Meters turns out to be up against the reunion of the Radiators. It’s clearly a tough choice, but it could be worse—neither could be playing!
Kermit Ruffins gets another gig at the Fairgrounds with his Tribute to Louis Armstrong hitting in the Economy Hall Tent at 4:20 PM (the time must be an inside joke). This could easily be the sleeper set of the fest.
The final act of the 2015 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is days away as I write this. I have no idea where I will be, but I know you really can’t go wrong with any of the options. Maybe Kermit will scoot over after his set to join Dr. John and his “Ske Dat De Dat…the Spirit of Satch” show?
Lenny Kravitz will probably sit in with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.
