Originally published May 31, 2012 by The Pioneer Newspaper - California State University, East Bay
Some 400,000 happy ticket holders ate, drank and
danced their way through gorgeous weather at the 43rd annual New
Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell.
Providing a huge economic boost for a city still
recovering from Hurricane Katrina, Jazz Fest caps a string of major tourist
events in New Orleans.
Created by the New Orleans Hotel Motel Association,
Jazz Fest has been a product of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Foundation since 1970.
According to spokesman Scott Aiges, "Part of our mission is to make culture accessible to the widest number of people possible."
“This is my fourth year coming to the festival and the surrounding activities,” said Joann Seaver of Walnut Creek, CA. Seaver received her Masters Degree and teaching credential from CSUEB during the 1980s in the days of CSU Hayward.
“This is my fourth year coming to the festival and the surrounding activities,” said Joann Seaver of Walnut Creek, CA. Seaver received her Masters Degree and teaching credential from CSUEB during the 1980s in the days of CSU Hayward.
“This is my tenth year here. It is the center of the
Universe,” exclaimed Alvin J. Brooks of Oakland, CA. Brooks, born in Louisiana, is also a CSUEB alumni who
received his Masters degree during the 1970s.
In addition to Jazz Fest,
the foundation produces other large free festivals throughout the year.
Some of the festivals are
the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival and the
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival among others. The spiritedness of the
festivals attracts tourists and provides vitally needed employment to local
musicians.
The New Orleans Jazz &
Heritage Festival Foundation also owns and operates WWOZ, the New Orleans
public radio station. The station provides broadcasting and web casting of
jazz, blues, zydeco, Cajun, funk, country and other regional sounds represented
at Jazz Fest.
The festival takes place over a two-weekend period that includes acts from all over the world.
The festival takes place over a two-weekend period that includes acts from all over the world.
Some of the acts that kicked off the festival were Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and the Eagles.
The 50th anniversary reunion of the Beach Boys attracted baby boomers near and far.
Performers like Cee Lo Green, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Ne-Yo, Cubano Bop: Puncho Sanchez and his Latin Band featuring New Orleans' own Terrence Blanchard jammed even harder.
Many other top headliners performed along with hundreds of the best acts from Louisiana.
From Irma Thomas' Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, to Dr. John, John Boutte, The Stooges Brass Band, New Birth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, to the Mardi Gras Indians and many more.
According the David Freeman, General Manager of WWOZ, New Orleans, "I always tell the novices to pace themselves for Mardi Gras so they can last 'til Tuesday. But it's just the opposite with Jazz Fest. The best advice I can give you is to start cutting down on sleep around January. Say an hour every two weeks - so that by the time you hit the last weekend in April through mid-May, you don't need any sleep at all. It's the Crescent City version of boot camp, just as second-lining and dancing at the drop of a high hat cymbal beat is how we maintain ourselves aerobically."
For example, the first weekend of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds and every great night concert from a slew of venues across the city are some of the events to consider.
There is a way to identify the die-hards from the amateurs.
The die-hards raced from the Fair Grounds which closed Sunday nights at 7pm. This left enough time for fans to join musicians like Jon Cleary at 8pm, followed by Papa Grows Funk with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux at 11pm capped off with a set by Lightnin Malcolm at 3am, all at the smoke-free and sound-level friendly dba Club, at 618 Frenchman Street.
On Monday following the first weekend of Jazz Fest, many jazz fans headed to Armstrong Park into the glorious sunrise for another concert.
At 6 am, with café au lait and beignets from Café du Monde, fans began entering the park to the sounds of congas and tambourines. Only the very serious die-hards were there for the Monk Institute presentation of a spectacular one-hour program in honor of International Jazz Day in Congo Square.
The 50th anniversary reunion of the Beach Boys attracted baby boomers near and far.
Performers like Cee Lo Green, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Ne-Yo, Cubano Bop: Puncho Sanchez and his Latin Band featuring New Orleans' own Terrence Blanchard jammed even harder.
Many other top headliners performed along with hundreds of the best acts from Louisiana.
From Irma Thomas' Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, to Dr. John, John Boutte, The Stooges Brass Band, New Birth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, to the Mardi Gras Indians and many more.
According the David Freeman, General Manager of WWOZ, New Orleans, "I always tell the novices to pace themselves for Mardi Gras so they can last 'til Tuesday. But it's just the opposite with Jazz Fest. The best advice I can give you is to start cutting down on sleep around January. Say an hour every two weeks - so that by the time you hit the last weekend in April through mid-May, you don't need any sleep at all. It's the Crescent City version of boot camp, just as second-lining and dancing at the drop of a high hat cymbal beat is how we maintain ourselves aerobically."
For example, the first weekend of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds and every great night concert from a slew of venues across the city are some of the events to consider.
There is a way to identify the die-hards from the amateurs.
The die-hards raced from the Fair Grounds which closed Sunday nights at 7pm. This left enough time for fans to join musicians like Jon Cleary at 8pm, followed by Papa Grows Funk with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux at 11pm capped off with a set by Lightnin Malcolm at 3am, all at the smoke-free and sound-level friendly dba Club, at 618 Frenchman Street.
On Monday following the first weekend of Jazz Fest, many jazz fans headed to Armstrong Park into the glorious sunrise for another concert.
At 6 am, with café au lait and beignets from Café du Monde, fans began entering the park to the sounds of congas and tambourines. Only the very serious die-hards were there for the Monk Institute presentation of a spectacular one-hour program in honor of International Jazz Day in Congo Square.
"After that, it's time for a power nap," said Freeman.
Die-hard or amateur, from noon to 7pm the Louisiana Music Factory, 210 Decatur Street included in-store performances of Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott, Mia Borders, Trombone Shorty, Shamar Allen and more.
Die-hard or amateur, from noon to 7pm the Louisiana Music Factory, 210 Decatur Street included in-store performances of Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott, Mia Borders, Trombone Shorty, Shamar Allen and more.
Across the street at the House of Blues, WWOZ presented and broadcasted live, the 24th annual Piano Night. This fest featured a host of famous piano players simultaneously performing from three stages till two in the morning.
With enough time for in between power naps, and plenty of energy for non-stop music at the local nightspots and numerous street musicians, fans partyed until they dropped.
