The 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has locked up the gates, cleaned up the grounds & sent all the musicians off to other cities. But the memories are going to last a lifetime for many fans, for one reason or another. Or should I say, for one artist or another.
The second weekend of the annual festival, it’s 46th, was a welcome departure from the first weekend’s downpours and ankle deep swamps that formed across the grounds. This weekend, the heavens smiled upon the festival; literally. A local businessman hired a skywriter to paint words and photos for the four days, encouraging peace, love, respect and community. The peace signs and smiley faces that floated between the minimal cloud coverage was a nice reminder that we are blessed as human beings to live on such a beautiful planet and how music is the universal connector of us all.
And Jazz Fest loves it’s diversity of music. No other festival can boast having the eclectic range of musicians playing on the eleven stages scattered amongst the crafts, food, marching parades and visitors. There is something for everyone and everyone had a favorite. From Elton John to Buddy Guy to Anthony Hamilton to Big Freedia, fans bought their tickets, picked their spots and waited for the music to let loose.
Still, with so much going on, Elton John was the clear winner of the second weekend. In a bright blue suit, bedazzled with jewels and Captain Fantastic emblazoned across the back, the British piano player sang fast (“The Bitch Is Back” and “All The Young Girls Love Alice”), sang slow (“Candle In The Wind” and “Your Song”) and proved that he still had some of that Central Park outdoor playing life left in him, even without the long-auctioned off duck suit he once wore at that legendary concert in 1980.
So with Elton being #1, here are 9 other fantastic highlights from four days in the sun:
2 – Guitars Ruled: No matter which stage you found yourself in front of, the guitar was on fire. Elton John’s longtime guitar player Davey Johnstone proved that even in a black suit on a hot day he had the chops to stand alongside Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Herring, Luther Dickinson, Tab Benoit and Anders Osborne that weekend. However, no one came close to Buddy Guy closing out the festival in the Blues tent. His energy, his playing, his repartee with the crowd was priceless.
3 – Women Ruled: From the diminutive Estelle being engulfed by the big Congo stage to Macy Gray being simply Macy Gray, women had more fun than the guys it seemed. Gwen Stefani must be the child of the Energizer bunny for she never stopped moving; and more surprisingly, she never seemed to sweat. With her pale white skin and bright red lipstick she led No Doubt through songs like “I’m Just A Girl” and “Hella Good” that kept the place hopping. Brit star Paloma Faith sashayed in a white dress and long white hair, and having the best back-up singers of the festival in their short blue dresses and flirtatious moves.
4 – Kids Ruled: Jazz Fest’s cultural exchange this year was with NOCCA, the New Orleans Center For Creative Arts. Students, Alumni and teachers graced stages proving that music is a vital ingredient to a school’s curriculum. It builds up not only a child’s talent but self-esteem and confidence. Being able to play in front of people of all ages, from across the country, was a dream come true for many and just may have given them the drive and encouragement to take their talent a step further by pursuing their love for music professionally. It was good to see the crowds gather for their performances.
5 – Mardi Gras Indians – The Mardi Gras Indians will always make the list of highlights from Jazz Fest. Playing on several stages, giving out-of-towners and locals alike a chance to experience their unique and spiritual culture that New Orleans holds close to it’s heart. With their elaborately decorated costumes featuring intricate beading and vibrant colors, they are not to be missed: Big Chief Bo Dollis, Young Seminole Hunters, Hardhead Hunters, Young Hunters, White Cloud Hunters, Big Chief Kevin Goodman & The Flaming Arrows.
6 – Vintage Trouble – The soul of James Brown lives strong in Ty Taylor. Jumping, spinning, shimmying, dancing, singing, even splitting the seams of his pants, Bruno Mars has nothing on this guy. With a killer band behind him, these guys are the hottest band in music right now and rightfully so.
7 – Bonerama – Nobody does horns like Bonerama. It’s like the best BBQ sizzling on the grill. You can taste what they’re cooking. Known for bringing up onstage their various offspring to play with them during Jazz Fest, this year saw the return of leader Mark Mullins’ son Michael on trombone and Matt Perrine’s son Ben on guitar, both stars in the making, ripping through Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times.”
8 – Jerry Lee Lewis – The legendary Killer will be 80 this year and age is catching up to him fast, unfortunately. He looked frail as he approached his piano but his smile was genuine as he began to play songs that have long been a part of our musical upbringing: “Great Balls Of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On.” In a white suit and silky maroon shirt, he retains the fashion of days gone by. He may have been a wild one but he was always dressed to fashion. His fingers, on the other hand, have not aged, still flying across the keys like lightning.
9 – Buddy Guy – On the opposite side of the spectrum, blues guitar player Buddy Guy had lightning flowing all through his body. He came out firing all pistols at once and burned down a Blues tent hungry for a lot of licks and a glimpse of that wide smile. Guy gave then that and more. Coming out in his trademark polka dot shirt, this one a turquoise blue, he was welcomed with deafening applause. He joked, he played, he went out into the crowd. If you thought Lenny Kravitz was hot before him, Buddy Guy showed that young buck that he was still the man and could match him step-for-step.
10 – Lenny Kravitz – It’s a well-known fact that Kravitz loves New Orleans. It’s also a well-known fact that New Orleans loves him back. Kicking off with “Dirty White Boots,” Kravitz led his band through “American Woman,” “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and an extra-long crowd-participating “Let Love Rule” – which could have been the unofficial anthem of the 2015 Jazz Fest. Kravitz also can boast having one of the best backing bands: Craig Ross on guitar, Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and Cindy Blackman on drums.
Glide’s Artist Of The Day – Each day, we picked an artist we thought would be the best, most exciting performer of the day, barring the headliners, for fans to see. This was our list. Thursday – Bonerama; Friday – Galactic featuring Macy Gray; Saturday – Big Sam’s Funky Nation; Sunday – Anders Osborne.
Glide’s Happy Discovery Of The Day – After running around to many stages during the day, we made some very cool discoveries. These are artists who caught our ears. Thursday – Eagle & Hawk; Friday – Erica Falls; Saturday – NOCCA Jazz Ensemble; Sunday – Feufollet.
There were many other artists who gave stellar performances throughout Jazz Fest, too many to name in one article. There was also lots of crawfish, cochon de lait, jambalaya and etouffee consumed by the approximately 460,000 people who visited the fairgrounds over both weekends. So the bottom line is that the 2015 Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans was a blazing success and still ranks as top of the food chain for U.S. festivals.
Photographs by Leslie Michele Derrough
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