Spring is in the air in New Orleans. The lineup for the 34th annual French Quarter Festival was released on Tuesday and it features over twenty new artists including the festival debut of the legendary Aaron Neville. The French Quarter Festival runs from April 6–9, 2017 and TVD is proud to be a media sponsor for the sixth year in the row. Stay tuned to this page for future announcements and daily musical picks.
Other debuts this year include the Cole Williams Band, Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole, Cupid, the Messy Cookers Jazz Band, Mo’Fess, Love Evolution, and the Perdido Jazz Band. One of the smaller stages, which was located on Bourbon Street, has relocated to the Jax Brewery in order to accommodate the growth of the festival.
Aaron Neville’s career has had many phases since his debut in the 1950s. The latest chapter is the critical acclaim he has earned for his latest recording, Apache. The album, which was produced by Eric Krasno of the soul jazz band, Soulive, presents Neville’s ethereal voice in a more rootsy setting than his more recent work.
The songs, many of which began as poems by the singer, revel in tales of his local youth before he hit the international music circuit with his family band, the Neville Brothers. He will be appearing on Thursday, April 6, on what has come to be known as Locals’ Lagniappe Day.
The Jack Daniel’s Stage, which moves from Bourbon Street to JAX Brewery, will have entertainment all four days of the festival. Artists include Otra, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, King James & The Special Men, Soul Rebels, and Corey Henry’s Tremé Funktet. The fest will also add a stage at the KIPP McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts located at 721 St. Philip Street. The stage’s lineup will be released in March.
