Over the weekend of August 6-7, the 2022 Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron celebrated the life, legacy, and music of New Orleans’ native son, Louis Armstrong, at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Now in its 22nd year, the annual festival that quickly grew into a beloved summer tradition delivered two full days of live entertainment from artists and scholars with deep roots and history in the birthplace of “Satchmo.” Throughout the course of the weekend, the small but mighty event was visited by over 7,500 guests.
Satchmo SummerFest featured nearly two dozen acts that kept the crowds singing and dancing with their original music and renditions of Armstrong’s classics. Fest attendees, whether Satchmo novices or experts, filled the museum grounds to enjoy the melodic notes and soulful voices of artists who have studied Armstrong’s talent and continue to infuse the traditional sounds into the present-day music scene. The Roots of Music sponsored by Fidelity Bank kicked off the festival on Saturday, August 6 with an energized street show on the 400 block of Esplanade Avenue. As the rain began, the band of talented young musicians could be heard marching into the festival gates with a crowd of fans excitedly following them in for the first performance of the day. The day continued with a stellar lineup, including The Nayo Jones Experience and Herlin Riley on the GE Stage, and Germaine Bazzle and Big 6 Brass Band at the Fidelity Bank Stage.
Satchmo Legacy Stage in Memory of Joni Berry welcomed back Festival favorite Ricky Riccardi, who won his first Grammy for best album notes on The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966 (Mosaic) earlier this year. Riccardi sat down for a very special interview with return artist Jewel Brown on Saturday. Brown is widely known for her rise in the music industry while touring internationally with Armstrong from 1961 to 1968. In addition, Gwen Thompkins, NPR veteran and host of WWNO’s Music Inside Out, sat down with Lawrence Cotton, who at 95 is New Orleans’ oldest performing musician.
Scorching temperatures were met with overcast skies and rain throughout the weekend. However, fans were unbothered by the summertime weather patterns that have been seen across the city for weeks, and welcomed the relief from afternoon showers. Sunday morning began with the annual Jazz Mass presented by Rhodes Funeral Home at St. Augustine Church. Treme Brass Band led the attendees from the church to the streets for the return of the Satchmo Salute Parade with support from the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund. The parade made its way through Treme to Armstrong Park, and back to the fest grounds with more than a dozen culture-bearers including Shaka Zulu on stilts, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, the Million Dollar Baby Dolls, TBC Brass Band, The 2022 Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club king and queen, and many more.
Sunday afternoon, Nigel Hall swooned the crowd with smooth serenades and attendees could be heard from outside the gates near the GE Stage as Da Truth Band brought fans to their feet to dance to the brass vibrations. The Fidelity Bank Stage kept the energy flowing throughout the day with a set from John Boutté, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, and a late addition to the lineup, Charmaine Neville. Neville, who is known for bringing young fans to the stage, closed the festival out with a duet alongside a third grader and budding actress and singer.
Other highlights of the weekend: Two new food vendors debuts, including Ditto’s Did Dat and Beaucoup Eats who offered vegan options. For the second year, French Quarter Festivals, Inc., in partnership with Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Program has committed to ensuring 100 percent of food and drink products are recyclable, reusable, and compostable.
Keith Hill documented the Satchmo Summerfest with the photographs presented here.
