Highlights of Nawlins Jazz Fest

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, first weekend, April 30-May 1

Whichever of the two weekends one attends Jazz Fest, the Fairgrounds and the clubs at night are guaranteed to be packed with incredible music of all kinds. There's zydeco and cajun music at the Fais Do Do stage; Mardi Gras Indians performing on the Heritage Stage (see Chief Monk Boudreaux, right); incredible music in the jazz, blues, and gospel tents; second line parades going through the Economy Hall tent; and then two main stages of music which this year featured the likes of Robert Plant & the Band of Joy, Dr. John, and John Mellencamp.

Daytime highlights at the Fairgrounds included: John Boutte singing in the jazz tent (this singer of the Treme theme song has a glorious voice; his cover of Hallelujah was breathtaking); Terrance Simien playing outstanding zydeco, including a medley of New Orleans classics that sent the crowd into a dancing frenzy (congrats on the Grammy!); and Trombone Shorty, who wasn't on the bill that weekend, but showed up all over the place, jamming with different bands, large and small.

For me, the most perplexing, and yet exhilarating, set came from Glen David Andrews in the blues tent. He was joined by very special guests Marcia Ball, a local boogie-woogie piano legend; violinist Amanda Shaw, and at the end his cousin Trombone Shorty for a fun jam. Glen crowd-surfed, incited the crowd to clap, cheer and dance, yet he barely sang a note (and never played a note on his trombone). When he does sing/play, he's generally fabulous! Rumor has it he played a stellar set that lit up the gospel tent second weekend.

And the night shows. Wow! Zigaboo Modaliste and friends did a round-robin drumming showcase that also featured Papa Mali and Eric Lindell at Howlin Wolf; Soul Rebels whipped up the crowd on Frenchman St at the Blue Nile for their Friday jam; and and Cyril Neville & Walter Wolfman Washington played back-to-back long sets at the newish club The Twelve Bar, in the CBD.

What a weekend it was!

captions:
1. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
2. inside the gospel tent
3. Glen David Andrews w/ Amanda Shaw & Marcia Ball
4. Soul Rebels Brass
5. John Boutte
6. Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience
7. Cyril & Mrs. Neville