Jazz Fest – The Second Weekend

The final days of the Fest.

It’s nearly getting to the point where all the days are running into each other and we are doing so much that it is hard to recall exactly what happened and when. Jazz Fest is nearly at an end and with one day to go I have that familiar feeling of exhaustion and exhilaration.

Unfortunately, Marion has been struck down with the ‘flu. Not the swine flu that is getting all the publicity but the normal, run oif the mill virulent cold flu. John took her to the hospital and to get some antibiotics and it cost around US$1300. This is why we have travel insurance. Illnesses in other tour members seem to be self-inflicted.

Thursday April 30. 2009

I arrived in time to see Theresa Andersson at the Gentilly Stage and she sems much more confident than in the past. Then we wandered over to the Grandstand to watch an interview with Emmylou Harris, who was as gracious and interesting as one would expect. Ken was there and the fact that he asked her a question about Buddy Miller (who is fine) gave me the nerve. ‘A comment and a question,’ I said. ‘I was in Joshua Tree last week and went to the Gram site, where a lot of Australians (and I am one in case you couldn’t guess), Europeans and Japanese go.’ ‘And Americans,’ shouted one person. ‘One tourist thought it was the Alan Parsons site – and wouldn’t music history have been different. It is amazing how he is still revered. Now, the question. Malcolm Burn said that when Daniel lanois produced an album by anyone he was really making a Daniel Lanois album. How do you feel about that?’

‘That’s what I wanted,’ she replied and went on to explain how she wanted lanois to put his magic on here album.

‘Thanks for one of the greatest albums of all time,’ I concluded. ‘There’s another one of my publicists,’ she said with a laugh.

In retrospect, I hope I didn’t offend any Americans in the audience by implying that they were not interested in Parsons legacy. It was a thrill to talk directly to Emmylou, having only ever done a phone interview with her in the past.

The subdudes put on their usual polished shop with people in the group who had not seen them before being knocked out. Then it was time for Emmylou, also at Gentilly, in what was a wonderful hour or so.

This evening we went to see the New Orleans premiere of  The Promised Land, a film about Lil’ Band O’ Gold. at the Canal Place Cinemas. A great film that really captures the spirit of the band. Then it was off to Chickie Wah Wah to see the band itself. Ken said that it was one of the greatest nights of his life. Then again he also said that the film was the greatest music film he had ever seen!

It was indeed a great night. The gig finished around 2.00am, some of us went back to Fahy’s while the other went to Frenchman Street to check out some bars that Pat had found.

Friday May 1, 2009

The one act I wanted to see today, Doc Watson, turned out to be one of the festival highlights so far. At 86 Doc is still playing superbly and his repertoire was kind of like a history of country music. I didn’t go to see Bonnie Raitt because the crowd was too big but watched Patty Griffin on the Fais Do Do instead and even caught some of Julian Marley at Congo Square.

Somehow, I completely forgot Tony Bennett was on but enjoyed John Scofield doing the Piety Street tunes with Jon Cleary, George Porter Jr and Rickky Fataar. Tim reported that The Tonester (as the local paper called him) was brilliant. This is the problem with Jazz Fest – you cannot see everything!

I had a few minutes back at the hotel and listened to Off The Record and heard a bit of Tracee’s Neil Young interview. It sounded excellent and much as I would have liked to have heard it all I had to dash.

My gig of the evening was Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen at The Parish and, as usual, they put in a splendid show. Terrence Higgins from the Dirty Dozen was the fill-in drummer for the evening and did a monster job. I have to assume that he was born in New Orleans because there is something unique about the drummers that some from this city.

The post-gig meeting place, Fahy’s Irish Pub, opposite our hotel was again lively and I managed to get away some time after 1.30am. Others were not so lucky.

Saturday May 2, 2009

This morning I was up early to attend the Sync Up Conference put on by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Peter Noble, from Byron’s Bluesfest, was on the panel about international festivals. I made some good contacts for the future. Note to self: You must get a business card. Afterwards I shared oysters at Felix’s with Peter and Keith Welch of the Music Network.

Tony Wood rang me and offered to pick me up and drive me to Jazz Fest with Rosalinde and Marcus. The line of people waiting to buy a ticket was the longest I had seen since Dave Matthews set the record of 168,000 in 2001. Today, Bon Jovi and Kings Of Leon are playing. I certainly have to question the addition of the former act to the Jazz Fest line-up. It was reported that Bon Jovi are being paid a million dollars to play!

Inside it was awful. Long queues for every food stall. masses of people milling around. This is definitely the second biggest crowd I have ever seen here.

Today I have a simple plan. See Aaron Neville and then  take refuge in the Jazz Tent to see Irvin Mayfield and, later, the tribute to the 50th anniversary of Kind Of Blue, with Jimmy Cobb’s So What Band. I managed to get a spot near the Gospel Tent and could not believe how good the sound was, how good the band was (with Charles Neville on sax) and how good Aaron still sounded.He started with ‘Stand By Me’ (the Ben E King classic) and tears welled up. I avoided the uncontrollable sobs that once overtook a friend in this tent but the Gospel Tent is dangerously emotional. Had Aaron asked, I am sure I would have repented. After about half an hour and a burgeoning crowd I had to leave. I am glad they are recording it and will make sure I get a copy.

Mayfield was dynamic, while the Miles tribute was beautiful. I pass on trying to see John Mayall and manage to survive the day without too much effort.

This evening I want to see Zachary Richard at The Parish or the subdudes at Southport Hall. I decide to see both. I wil watch Zack’s first set and catch a taxi to see the dudes second set. My plan is thwarted. No taxi driver wants to take a lone passenger when they could get 4 or 5 people and charge them more. In the end I am happy to watch the whole of Richard’s performance, and I have not seen him for years so it is great to have him back here.

We all meet back at Fahy’s and compare notes and have a nightcap, which for me now consists of one Bloody Mary, as the staff at this pub make the best in town (or so they tell me).

Sunday May 3, 2009

The final day of the Fest. I am, as Ken would say, ‘rooted’. It might sound strange but I am looking forward to the end of the day. I have two enormous blisters on the heel of my right foot but I think it is the late nights that are doing me in. Plus, I have hardly had any time to do the blog. Frankly, I am having way too much fun.

Tony drops Marcus off at the hotel and then takes Rosalinde out to Jazz Fest where she is playing tambourine with Cedric Burnside and Lightning Malcolm. Young Marcus is going to spend the day in my room and use the pool and other hotel facilities. I encourage him not to trash the room and not to use the spa near the pool (which the other night was set on boiling point).

I need to see Allen Toussaint on the main stage first because I am interviewing him straight after the gig. As usual he is brilliant. before performing ‘Yes We Can’ he adds a verse: ‘We are America/ And the best thing about being America/Is that we are America today.’ Later, he explains it to me. He is a lovely, gracious man to talk to – a real gentleman in the true sense of the word.

I am torn between Neil Young and Los Lobos and manage to catch 30 minutes or so of the former and the whole set by the latter. I reckon Neil’s set starts off better than the Melbourne or Sydney shows I saw earlier this year but the wind at the Fairgrounds takes the sound away and I move on. Los Lobos are one of the musical highlights of the entire festival. They have their own unique sound and a wonderful set list.

There is only one way to finish Jazz Fest and that is with The Neville Brothers, back last year after a couple of years absence. Maybe not as compelling as the Aaron Neville solo set but great nonetheless. On the bus back to Rampart everyone has  feelings of satisfaction and exhaustion.

Tonight, the whole group goes out to the new Rock ‘n’ Bowl to see Sonny Landreth and Tab Benoit. The new location is certainy up market and being on the ground flood the place does not shake any more and make you feel as though the floor will collapse at any moment. Pat, Tim and I eat at the College Inn just next door – a welcome new feature of the Bowl’s location.

The Bowl’s owner Joe, eccentric as ever, tells a long rambling story about Beau Jocque and Boozoo Chavis and the zydeco ’shootouts’ they used to have – I think I was at at least one of those. The story ends bizarrely with a bowling challenge in which Boozoo, having lost some fingers on one hand, has to bowl for the championship. Strange but apparently true. At least he didn’t sing the national anthem this year.

We return for one last drink at Fahy’s. My night ends at 2.30am when I finally switch off the light.