Weirder
Which was weirder: Wyclef Jean finishing his show with a DJ set that included Motown and Nirvana, or Plant seemingly shouting-out to Billy Joel by telling the audience, “Don’t go changin’” as he left the stage?
—Alex Rawls
Fleur Debris
Quint Davis introduced the Jazz Tent set by Fleur Debris (bassist George Porter, drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, keyboardist David Torkanowsky and saxophonist Aaron Fletcher) by proclaiming New Orleans a city where the usual musical boundaries don’t apply, where musicians like these were as likely to play jazz and rock ’n’ roll as R&B.
Well, some boundaries are harder to cross than others. Torkanowsky (who entered wearing Professor Longhair’s old Civil Defense helmet) explained that this was the first-ever Jazz Tent appearance by Porter and Modeliste. For the first 41 years of Jazz Fest, the best electric bassist New Orleans has ever produced and one of the half-dozen best drummers the city has given us never played inside that tent.
They quickly proved that they belonged there with subtle improvisations on McCoy Tyner’s “Atlantis” and John Coltrane’s “Equinox.” Porter didn’t so much walk the bass as dart here and there around it, and Modeliste played patterns within patterns.
The show lost its momentum when it turned to Patrice Rushen’s bland ballad, “When I Found You,” but revived when Nicholas Payton stepped out to join the quintet on another ballad.
—Geoffrey Himes
Tom McDermott’s Booker Tribute
At the tribute to James Booker in the Blues Tent, Tom McDermott emulated Booker’s approach instead of visiting his songbook, and allowed his musicianship and imagination to flow over changes that eventually revealed themselves to be the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” and the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Not only was the approach intelligent, but he made the moment about Booker about him too, McDermott being a big Beatles fan.
—Alex Rawls
Paul Sanchez
If you had any doubts about the studio recording of Paul Sanchez’s Nine Lives, this live performance certainly clears things up. Sanchez and company, including Michael Cerveris, Craig Klein, Debbie Davis, Alex McMurray, Matt Perrine, Larry Sieberth, Shamarr Allen and many more gave powerful, energetic performances of several tunes from the play.
Sanchez’s set also included what has become an iconic New Orleans song, “At the Foot of Canal Street,” performed by Cerveris and an audience that all stood up and sang along.
—Joseph Irrera
Girl Fest
For the two middle days of the Jazz Fest, the last set of the Gentilly Stage turned into a righteous girl-fest. Tom Jones brought his magnetism to the women who were almost as frenzied about him as they are in Las Vegas. Cyndi Lauper’s crowd was no less enthusiastic as she sang great blues before ending with her anthemic “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” that had every female around me singing, spinning, and smiling. The next day, she took her act on the road and reprised “Girls …” as part of the Arcade Fire’s encore, sharing lead vocal duties with Regine Chassagne.
—David Kunian
Jazz Fest Food
The coolish weather finally made such dishes as the andouille, pheasant, and quail gumbo and chicken and tasso over rice approachable. That gumbo was simply rich, decadent, and delicious and would have been at home in any restaurant. Dibbi and poulet fricasse with a shot of hot sauce continue to be my favorite snacks at Jazz Fest. Finally sampled the Rose Mint tea, which is incredible with snuck-in rum.
—Rene Louapre
Dr. John and Dave Bartholomew
Dr. John’s Jazz Fest sets have sometimes seemed a little reserved, but his show this year was a joy. With Dave Bartholomew onstage and doing some of the best playing I heard from him in recent years, Dr. John said, “Right now, we’re going to play a Dave Bartholomew song that says a lot.” Then, the band launched into an almost unrecognizable rewrite of “The Monkey Speaks Its Mind” as swampy funk. Bartholomew’s trumpet rode on top of the groove like a sampled jazz part on a DJ’s trip-hop track, connected and disconnected at turns and more engaging for it.
—Alex Rawls
Aaron and Charles Neville
You can’t blame Aaron Neville for wanting to cash in on his once-in-a-generation voice, but we hear him at his best when he takes on a project that has nothing to do with chart success. That’s why the 1993 album, Aaron Neville’s Soulful Christmas, is one of the best holiday albums ever made, and it’s why his annual visit to the Gospel Tent during Jazz Fest is such a treat.
This year, Aaron was joined by his brother Charles and a compact rhythm section that reduced (but did not eliminate) the opportunities for bombast. He overdid the melisma on “Jesus Loves Me” and relied on synthesized strings too often, but he grew increasingly understated as the set went on. He gave the Civil Rights anthem “Oh, Freedom” a wonderfully restrained reading, filling the line, “Before I’ll be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave,” with an unshakable confidence that didn’t require big gestures.
On “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Aaron didn’t feel he had to twist the melody into knots to put the song over. When he dedicated Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria” to the recently deceased Herman Ernest, Sam Henry and Sherman Washington, the singer closed his eyes and seemed to squeeze out the high-pitched melody as if trying to find the strength to go on in the face of so much loss.
—Geoffrey Himes
Trombone Shorty
Trombone Shorty apparently doesn’t sleep during Jazz Fest. He was all over town, day and night, playing until dawn at Tipitina’s and then hitting the Fair Grounds for an onslaught that included guest shots with people as disparate as Fifth Ward Weebie, Kid Rock and Jimmy Buffet. His own set was a dazzling example of how jazz can still be cutting edge contemporary popular music. The young audience watching him at the Gentilly Stage was mesmerized by his beautiful rendition of “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” a song that would have driven the same audience to the exits if delivered in the cornball version too many veterans give it. Shorty made a very good song his own in the context of a set that sizzled with a hard rock edge but traveled on funk rhythmic patterns and featured great trombone and trumpet playing from New Orleans’ most galvanic soloist. I saw two young men right after the show playing air trombone instead of air guitar as they moved excitedly toward their next destination.
—John Swenson
Shorty and Kermit
I was disappointed to see a national writer try to describe how good Shorty was by comparing him to Kermit Ruffins. Shorty doesn’t need Kermit as a foil to demonstrate his brilliance, and it doesn’t sit right with me that Kermit has to be dissed in order to talk about how good Shorty is. The perception problem is caused by too small a sample. It’s a mistake to judge New Orleans music by what happens at Jazz Fest alone. Kermit’s decision to stay local isn’t just good for his own lifestyle; it benefits everyone who calls New Orleans home.
—John Swenson
