Armstrong Park will be the place to be this afternoon beginning at 3 PM, and continuing until 8 PM when the third season of concerts begins with a second line parade featuring the New Skool Brass Band.
At 5 PM Flow Tribe will hit the stage to bring fans of all ages their mix of New Orleans funk and indie rock sounds. Trumpeter James Andrews, the “Satchmo of the Ghetto,” and a native of the Tremé neighborhood in which the park is located, is the headliner.
Jazz in the Park has quickly become a favorite for music lovers in the downtown area as well as fans that travel from other parts of the city to take in the natural beauty of one of the city’s most expansive parks, and the unparalleled atmosphere that the concerts and marketplace generate.
A new addition to the schedule this year that is bound to become a favorite is a second line parade, which will follow the headliner’s performance each Thursday during the series. The parade will take festers from the festival site through the historic Tremé neighborhood and wind up at the Candlelight Lounge.
In an area that was once dotted with bars and lounges that nurtured the culture of New Orleans, the Candlelight is the last of the old school establishments still in business. The New Skool Brass Band will lead the parade and perform at the Candlelight.
I had a chance to check out the band play three songs at the press conference that announced the new season of concerts. The band is a tight ensemble of young musicians who are keeping the traditions of New Orleans alive.
James Andrews photo: Michael Weintrob
