You know you’re getting close to Jazz Fest time when the pollen starts swirling in the breezes and a sunny morning can turn on a dime into a rainstorm from hell. Welcome to spring in Louisiana. Despite the weather idiosyncrasies, that has rarely dissuaded festival goers from attending one, if not all seven days of one the nation’s most popular festivals. Just stick a hole in a trash bag to throw over your head, pull on the fleur de lis emblazoned rubber boots, pack the sunscreen and off you go. Rain or shine, New Orleans knows how to throw a party.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2014 has one of the strongest line-ups in years. So packed with talent, it’s going to be harder than usual to pick a spot and stay there. You’re going to have to travel from one end of the grounds to the other if you want to wallow in all the music this year has to offer. Many people hunker down at one stage and wait for their favorite performer. Not going to happen this year. On the first day alone, this Friday, April 25, you may start off in the Jazz Tent to hear the Xavier University Jazz Ensemble, then run over to the main Acura stage for some fun Wayne Toups, then back around the corner to the Blues Tent for Little Freddie King. But you’ll have to leave before his set is over in order to hoof it to the Galaxy stage for Honey Island Swamp Band. To catch Lil’ Buck Sinegal, you will have to leave mid-set to get back to the Blues tent, perhaps staying for Eric Lindell or putting the jets on to go clear across the grounds to the Fais Do-Do stage for some Infamous Stringdusters. And then comes the really hard part: do you watch Santana’s full set on the main stage or catch the Avett Brothers across grounds on the Galaxy stage? Or should you run over to Congo Square for Public Enemy? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
The powers-that-be have certainly outdone themselves this year with the line-up. There is not one day that you feel like you can miss. The first Saturday’s roster will no doubt bring in a huge crowd thanks to Phish and Robert Plant headlining the biggest stages and on Sunday there is the one and only Eric Clapton. But who else should you NOT miss the first weekend? Circle these artists on your cubes:
Royal Southern Brotherhood featuring Devon Allman, Cyril Neville, Mike Zito and Charlie Wooton playing a combination of southern rock and soulful funk. Anders Osborne always does an exciting high energy guitar-heavy set while Bonerama never ever fails to pump up the crowd with their brass-tastic horns. John Hiatt will be bringing his legendarily unique singer-songwriting talent with The Combo, the North Mississippi Allstars, featuring the brothers Dickinson, Luther and Cody, are the perfect way to begin Sunday’s morning musical feast, and Galactic featuring drummer Stanton Moore and Living Colour’s Corey Glover, will be a treat. Boz Scaggs over in the Blues Tent will have to compete with Saturday’s headliners but he is oh so worth seeing. And Ms Ruby Wilson’s Tribute To Bessie Smith in the Economy Hall Tent on Sunday should take your breath away. There’s also Tab Benoit, Jon Cleary, the Treme Brass Band, Vampire Weekend, CJ Chenier, Kermit Ruffins and Keb Mo. And that’s just the first three days!
The second weekend begins on Thursday, May 01, and has typically been the “locals day,” more laid back and not so flashy. Flow Tribe will kick things off on the main stage, ending with the String Cheese Incident. The ever-popular Galaxy stage has Marcia Ball followed by headliner Lyle Lovett. In Congo Square, Solange headlines, prequeled by The Wailers and the Soul Rebels. The Blues Tent has Johnny Sansone and Luther Kent; Fais Do-Do has BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet; the Lagniappe Stage features Billy Iuso; and the Jazz Tent will be humming with the New Orleans Nightcrawlers and A Tribe Called Red.
Friday is a good day to stay by the Acura stage, beginning with the rascally Mia Borders (not to be missed) followed by the always fun Cowboy Mouth, fiddle player Amanda Shaw, Theresa Andersson and ending with Christina Aquilera. But then again, you’d miss Alabama Shakes, Chaka Khan, Wolfman Washington, Charmaine Neville, the Blues Masters featuring Big Al Carson, the John Mahoney Big Band, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Bradley, the White Cloud Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Irma Thomas singing gospel and Alejandro Escovedo & the Sensitive Boys.
Saturday IS Springsteen, hands down. His Jazz Fest performances are legendary. But if you’re inclined to not fight the crowd for a decent spot or would just like a different kind of music, you can enjoy Johnny Winter in the Blues Tent, Al Jarreau in the Jazz Tent, Trey Songz at Congo or Foster The People at Galaxy. Other performers worth seeing pre-headliners include Allen Toussaint, the Revivalists, the Savoy Family Cajun Band, Better Than Ezra, Alexis & The Samurai and the Joe Known Trio featuring Wolfman Washington and Russel Batiste Jr.
Closing this whole shebang out on Sunday, you can’t do much better than Trombone Shorty on the main stage, although John Fogerty is going to be rocking on Galaxy. Chick Corea & The Vigil will be performing during the day in the Jazz Tent, a legend you really do need to see. Arcade Fire, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Dumpstaphunk, Robert Earl Keen, Bobby Womack, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Aaron Neville in the Blues Tent, Johnette Downing at the Kids Tent, Delbert McClinton and so many others will be there to round out the Fest with incredible music.
It’s really not a year that you will be able to make out your schedule easily. With so many legends, both local and universal, and young guns kicking their heels up, all playing in one place, there is no way you will walk off the festival grounds without a smile on your face. Plus with the food, the crafts and, did I mention the food? Yep, you’re going to have an excellent time.
Be sure and keep checking out Glide for full coverage of both weekends.
For all the information you need, check out the official website…
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