I have so enjoyed the weather lately, and the spring. In the past few weeks, we’ve celebrated Mardi Gras (can we make it late every year?), St. Paddy’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day and Super Sunday. I hope you’ve had a chance to check out OffBeat’s Flickr page because our “on the street” photographer Kim Welsh is out there, and she’s helping to document all the festivities in New Orleans. It’s almost like being there. Almost. There’s nothing like being here in person!

Now we come to French Quarter Festival. Last year, estimated attendance at French Quarter Fest jumped ahead of Jazz Fest. You can never underestimate the power of “free” anything, and that’s what makes French Quarter Fest so wonderful.

The festival is experiencing growing pains; in fact, it’s getting almost too big. This year, it has expanded to include 20 stages of music. Festival organizers also plan to expand the festival in future years outside the Quarter to Washington Square Park (to spread the crowd onto Frenchmen Street) and possibly to Armstrong Park, which would be a great thing for the festival and the park.

Of course, the park will have to be completed. Right now, it’s in pitiful shape. We need an angel for Armstrong Park, someone who will consider all the factors that make it so fragile and unique, along with the factors that have made it a political football for various mayoral administrations, the Treme neighborhood and the residents on the North Rampart side of the French Quarter.

We’ve experienced quite a few passings in the past month: Herman Ernest, a wonderful drummer and a prince of a guy; John Berthelot, a true Renaissance music man; Zion Harmonizer Sherman Washington; and the second death of another beloved music venue, Donna’s (I wrote about this in my blog). Are we coming to the end of the golden years of New Orleans music? I wonder who will replace the musicians we today associate with New Orleans music: Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Pete Fountain, Germaine Bazzle, Ellis Marsalis, Harold Battiste and so many, many more.

Who are our mainstay musical stars of the future? Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Trombone Shorty, Jon Cleary, Anders Osborne, Terence Blanchard, Tim Laughlin, Galactic, Sasha Masakowski, Shamarr Allen? (Don’t get mad at me for not mentioning your name; you know I love you all!) New Orleans music will never die, but it’s certainly changing, and hopefully being passed on to younger practitioners and appreciators of the art form. It’s a mission that we’re committed to, and we hope you are, as well.

Enjoy the festival, and look forward to the next great one—Jazz Fest!