New Orleans, the birthplace of funk and the preferred stomping grounds of jam band fans and followers of the freak philosophy, has a history of historic jam sessions that goes back more than a century. The influx of national touring bands amid the anything goes nature of Jazz Fest has added star power to many of these one-off lineups, but the newly formed Magnificent 7, put together by keyboardist John Gros using members of several top local bands, promises to be the headiest of these strange...
John "Papa" Gros. Photo by Elsa Hahne