Saturday may be the biggest day in the history of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell. Every stage is overflowing with talent particularly in the headlining slots at the biggest stages where Stevie Wonder (pictured at top), Beck, Snoop Dogg, Arturo Sandoval, and Buddy Guy vie for the attention of festers. Here are our Saturday picks. The full Saturday schedule is here.
Guitarist and bandleader Deacon John is a legend in these parts—a man who has weathered every change in the music business since the 1950s. He must also be an early riser as he is opening the Acura stage at 11:30 AM. This might be puzzling given his stature except for the fact that he was scheduled at 11 AM at the French Quarter Fest three weeks ago.
Putting Sweet Crude, Louisiana’s favorite (only?) percussion-heavy, francophone indie rock band on the same stage as Beck is pure genius. I love the joie de vivre this band exhibits when they play and I hope Beck is in the wings checking them out.
I am seriously torn about the options in the third time slot around 1:40 PM. Jon Batiste, the bandleader who replaced the irreplaceable Paul Shaffer, along with his band Stay Human, is opposite the Midnite Disturbers, a brass band super group. I have watched Batiste mature since his first Jazz Fest appearance and I have seen every Disturbers show (as far as I know they only play at Jazz Fest). I guess the decision will have to be made at the time.
I have the same issue in the next time slot. I have been following Kermit Ruffins and his solo act since long before he retired from the Rebirth Brass Band. I even wrote a book about one of his iconic gigs.
But I have loved jazz vocalist Gregory Porter ever since seeing him perform at the Chicago Jazz Fest a couple of years back. Kermit is doing a tribute to one of his personal heroes and one of New Orleans’ favorite sons—Louis Armstrong. That tips the scales for sure—weather won’t play a factor since both of the sets are in tents.
The last time Stevie Wonder played at the Fairgrounds was in 2008 and the scent of the flood following hurricane Katrina and the failure of the federal levees was still hanging proverbially in the air. His set was a bit uneven compared to other times I have seen him; he rambled on, rapped, interrupted himself a few times before it started to rain. Then he brought out Irma Thomas to sing “Shelter in the Rain.” There was barely a dry eye in the field and it wasn’t the precipitation. Don’t miss him.
The last day of the Jazz Fest is the one that separates the amateurs from the professionals. The full schedule for Sunday is here.
If you’re feeling a little weary but you still get there early, head to the Peoples Health Economy Hall Tent and check out the New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra. This New Orleans institution is one of the most entertaining acts out there. They are a big band and they play music from before jazz was actually codified into an art form.
I saw Trumpet Mafia last year and was blown away by this all-star aggregation put together by Ashlin Parker. They had nine trumpeters on stage as well as a full band. The best part was when they brought out the ringers, Maurice Brown and Irvin Mayfield, and the trumpet front line literally spread all the way across the stage. They hit at 12:20 PM in the Jazz Tent.
The Gentilly stage is the place to be for two very special tributes bookended by a set by blues songstress Bonnie Raitt. The first is a tribute to Allen Toussaint, the musical genius and New Orleans icon who passed away unexpectedly last fall and shocked the music world. The second is a tribute to B.B. King.
In what is possibly the second worst kept secret at the Jazz Fest, I expect Raitt to sit in during both tributes. She helped bring Toussaint’s music into the larger public’s eye; was an acolyte of King, and played in the tribute to the blues great at the most recent Grammy awards.
Other acts to check out if you’re not inclined to spend time at the big stages, are the Mashup, a jazz jam of the highest order featuring organist Ike Stubblefield, drummer Terence Higgins, and guitarist Grant Green, Jr. (Jazz Tent at 2:45) and the acclaimed modern day bluegrass band, the Punch Brothers (Fais Do Do at 4:10 PM).
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Neil Young. He is touring with a young band featuring Willie Nelson’s son. The last time he played at the Jazz Fest he ended the show amid a squall of feedback as he ripped the strings off his guitar. Let’s see if the kids can keep up with that!
