TVD Live: Satchmo SummerFest, 8/5–8/7

PHOTOS: ZACK SMITH | Despite forecasts of major storms all weekend, the weather cooperated as the annual celebration of the life and music of Louis Armstrong inaugurated its first iteration in Jackson Square—right at the heart of New Orleans’ iconic French Quarter. Here’s a look back at some of the musical highlights.

When Victor Goines (pictured at top), the longtime reedman for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis, was booked for his debut performance at Satchmo SummerFest, no one could have known that another favorite son of New Orleans, clarinetist Pete Fountain, would pass away while the festival was underway. In true New Orleans fashion, Goines and many of the other acts paid tribute to Fountain with music.

Goines left his tenor saxophone and modern jazz sensibility at home playing both clarinet and soprano sax as his band of musicians from his base in Chicago supported him with scintillating piano riffs and a strong rhythmic foundation on songs associated with traditional New Orleans jazz. Local banjo/guitar player Don Vappie hushed the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the old chestnut, “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans.”

While acknowledging the death of Fountain, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band didn’t bother playing any trad jazz. They came on funky strong with sousaphonist Kirk Joseph (pictured above) and young drummer Julian Addison (pictured below) locked in a tight groove.

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Reedmen, Kevin Harris on tenor sax and Roger Lewis (pictured below performing later with the Tremé Brass Band and one of the costumed Baby Dolls) on baritone sax, blew their heads off. Trumpeter Gregory Davis had to beg a little for some crowd participation, but before too long the mid afternoon crowd was up and boogieing.

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Of course, Davis wasn’t the only trumpeter celebrating Armstrong. Below are shots of Leroy Jones and Wendell Brunious with Yoshio Toyama, who is known as the “Satchmo of Japan.”

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Grand Marshall Oswald “Bo Monkey” Jones strutted his stuff leading the Dejean’s Olympia Brass Band on a second line through the historic city. The band, one of the oldest brass bands in existence, is experiencing a resurgence led by trumpeter Mervin Campbell.

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Though reports indicate the attendance was down slightly this year, I think the new location is superior to the longtime spot around the Old U.S. Mint. The circular path on the inside of the square lends itself to meandering and the setting under the watchful spire of St. Louis Cathedral feels true to spirit of old New Orleans and good ole Satch.

entraice

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