PHOTOS: “BATON ROUGE” BILL BOELENS | The deluge ended on Monday after seemingly weeks of rain in the Crescent City and by the time the gates to the Jazz Fest opened on Thursday, April 30, the Fairgrounds had mostly dried out. This year’s festival featured the most crowded day ever, numerous special musical guests and several tributes to the dearly departed. Here’s a look back at some highlights.
Big Chief Bo Dollis has been honored numerous times in various ways since his death earlier this year. But nothing says “legend” like than having your sculptural image join the likes of Professor Longhair on the proscenium of one of the stages of the Jazz Fest.
The image at top shows the beautiful sculpture—a permanent tribute above the Jazz and Heritage stage. A close look at its detail reveals the beads and stones gracing many a Mardi Gras Indian suit inlaid on the carving.
One of the many treats at the Jazz Fest is the “stumble.” Literally discovering a new act because you happened to walk by. On Thursday we easily fell into the Latin rhythms of Grupo Sensacion and their vivacious lead singer (pictured).
The first of many special guests at the fest the second weekend appeared on stage when the sacred steel supergroup, The Word, welcomed local daughter Tricia “Sista Teedy” Boutte on vocals (pictured).
The Word features the electric blues of the North Mississippi Allstars with the pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph and the moody organ excursions of John Medeski of Medeski, Martin and Wood. Their music brings the sounds of the Baptist church to the secular stage complete with guitar improvisations that mime the soaring voices of a choir.
Trumpet Mafia is a band made up of at least nine trumpets. They create an orchestral sound unlike anything I have ever heard. After opening fittingly with “The Theme From the Godfather,” they invited two much better known trumpeters, Maurice Brown and Irvin Mayfield (pictured) to join in the fun. At one point there were eleven trumpets on stage.
Big Chief Victor Harris (pictured) of the Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi and Mandingo Warriors is celebrating 50 years masking as a Mardi Gas Indian. He brought up his newest grandchild, a baby about two months old, and announced that the kid is his 31st grandchild!
Sound has been an ongoing problem at the Congo Square stage for the past few years. This year, some acts sounded great, during others the bass heaviness would not have been out of place at an EDM show. The problem was corrected by the end of the great set by Third World. The reggae giants (pictured) brought the island rhythms they are famous for to an enthusiastic crowd.
New faces and new instruments are part of experience at Jazz Fest. This year, guitarist Danny Abel of Gravity A and numerous other acts joined legends like Johnny Vidacovich on a tongue-in-cheek tabulation of most sets at the Fairgrounds. On Friday alone, he turned up with keyboardist Kyle Roussel in the Jazz Tent and on the Jazz and Heritage stage with the Hard Head Hunters Mardi Gras Indians. On Thursday he played with Trumpet Mafia and Pat Casey and the New Sounds.
The keytar is an instrument of 1970s vintage. It is an electric keyboard, which is played like a guitar. It seems to be making a comeback as Kyle Roussel sported one and later in the day both No Doubt and Chicago added the look and sound to their performances.
Saturday was the most crowded day at Jazz Fest since the infamous afternoon in 2001 when a huge crowd packed the infield for Dave Mathews and Mystikal sets. This year, it was even more crowded. That day fifteen years ago caused the festival’s organizers to reconsider certain elements of the experience. This day, with Elton John, Aaron Neville, T.I., and Ed Sheeran on the bill will also signal some serious re-thinking.
Chairs were lining the outer perimeter as early at 1 PM and the area became impassable by 3 PM. I got a chance to peek at the infield during Sir Elton’s set and was amazed at the size of the crowd.
But by Sunday any ill will generated by the general nastiness of people not used to the festival setting packing into each other like the proverbial tin of sardines had dissipated. The final day was as pretty as the previous three had been and though it was crowded, nothing was unmanageable except for a brief unintended excursion into the chair people waiting for the O’Jays and Maze. I don’t know how these people can get up to use the bathrooms, buy beer or food because we were literally trapped amid a sea of chairs.
Earlier in the day, Big Chief Kevin Goodman and the Flaming Arrows (pictured) brought a giant tribe and a full band. They played for a small, but enthusiastic group of fans. Keyboardist Norman and his drumming brother Rickey Caesar anchored the band.
Deacon John (pictured) is the consummate showman, but he doesn’t hog the spotlight. In his jump blues heavy set, he showcased his killer band, two different female vocalists, and offered bluesman Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes (pictured) two songs to showcase his harmonica skills. Barnes tore it up before and after Deacon sang his tour-de-force version of “Many Rivers To Cross.”
The Meters advertised Cyril Neville as a guest vocalist for their eagerly awaited reunion set. But what they didn’t announce was a warm welcome to second-generation funkateer Ivan Neville (pictured with Leo Nocentelli and Cyril Neville), who sang and played some keys, or a three-piece horn section, which added fire to their precision attack. Cyril also helped raise the ante to the highest levels with killer vocals as he stalked the stage amid the four original Meters.
A quick race around the track, including the aforementioned chair detour trying to find away to the Gentilly stage, found us up front for Steve Winwood (pictured). Now 66, he has been playing music since he was a teenager and opened with “I’m a Man,” his first hit with the Spencer Davis Group. More hits followed from Blind Faith, his supergroup with Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, Traffic, including a winding version of “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys,” and his solo career.
Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and Orleans Avenue closed out the Acura stage in style with special guests Saints quarterback Drew Brees, with three tow-headed boys in town and Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli. In his third year in the vaunted closing slot, “Shorty” now owns it. His band tore it up playing tight and loose at the same time. A mean feat for any act, but one that looks like it comes effortlessly to this hard-touring ensemble.
Other special guests of note (pictured) included trumpeters Randy Brecker and James Andrews with Dr. John and trumpeter Shamarr Allen with zydeco sensation Terrence Simien.
