The 14th annual festival celebrating the life and music of New Orleans’ most famous son, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, kicks off Friday morning with a second line parade at 10:30 AM from Jackson Square to the Old U.S. Mint. Performances and discussions take place all weekend long. Here are my picks for the first day.
Since Chevron has come on as a major sponsor (TVD is a media sponsor), the fest has been able to book bands previously outside the budget. Topping the list this year is the first ever appearance by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
They hit at 6:30 PM on the Chevron Red Beans and Ricely stage on the Barracks Street side of the historic building. The ever-effervescent personality James “Satchmo of the Ghetto” Andrews follows at 8 PM.
The Smoking Time Jazz Club kicks off the day on the Cornet Chop Suey Stage (by Esplanade Avenue). This band is part of the next generation of trad groups plying their trade mostly on Frenchmen Street. I saw them at an in-store performance celebrating their latest release at the Louisiana Music Factory and was impressed by the warm, occasionally risqué vocals of their lead singer Sarah Peterson and tightness of the group’s ensemble playing.
Speaking of warm vocals, John Boutte is a not-to-be-missed performer hitting at 3:45 PM on the Red Beans stage. His star rose considerably after singing the theme song to the HBO show Treme, but locals have always known him as a star hailing from a family of excellent singers.
Tomorrow look for the picks for Saturday and Sunday.
