Jazz Fest 2007- Part 3

Finally! I have a few minutes to try to complete my Jazz Fest 2007 blog.

When last I wrote, Day 2 of the Fest had closed down, with the Allman Bros. playing to a packed house at Gentilly.

You'd think that was enough, but the fun was really just starting. We had tickets that night for a double bill of New Orleans legend Dr. John with Gov't Mule. I was hoping that the Mule's penchant for inviting guests to come out to play might provide some interesting music, but even more intriguing was that the good Dr. was being billed as Dr. John, The Night Tripper!

But, of course, you can't have a night of music without a little nourishment first, so we headed back to the Warehouse District where the Contemporary Arts Center resides to see what we could find. When we were in the area before, to have dinner at Cochon, we'd seen an Asian place called "Hipsticks" that looked intriguing, so we decided to see if we could get in. It turned out to be a really nice Asian fusion menu, combining Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines with just a splash of New Orleans thrown in for good measure (Dave's Asian Po' Boy). I had a delicious sampling of what was billed as Singapore Street Noodles, a rice noodle dish with shrimp and vegetables covered in an exquisite peanut sauce!! It was a good find and also just something a little "change of pace" for us.

Now, it was off to see The Night Tripper!!!

For those that don't know, Mac Rebennack assumed the persona of Dr. John, The Night Tripper back in 1968 when he released the album Gris Gris. The character was based on an actual New Orleans Voodoo practitioner from the 1800's named Dr. John Creaux. The resulting record and subsequent persona drew heavily on African rhythms, 60's psychedelia, and New Orleans swamp hoodoo.

I've seen Dr. John a number of times in the past, but not billed as the Night Tripper--- so the anticipation was high!

We were not to be disappointed.

When we arrived, the show had already gotten started ( who has EVER heard of a New Orleans show kicking off early!!!), but we hadn't missed too much.

The Dr. was dressed in his full Hoodoo regalia, complete with headdress, beads and feathers. There were two sensuous young ladies dancing about the stage as if in trances, and indeed, the music was hypnotic. There was to be no "Right Place, Wrong Time" tonight. We were truly under the hoodoo moon, and our voodoo Prince was none too happy!!! Dr. John has always been passionate about his hometown and never so much as since Katrina blew in!

Dr. John, The Night Tripper

As he stalked about the stage with arms splayed and fingers outstretched like talons, he gave the appearance of a bird of prey on the hunt. And he was looking for all the local, state, and federal officials who he felt had let the people of New Orleans down post-Katrina. At one point he began pointedly quoting from Psalms 109:

"Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

Let his days be few; and let another take his office. "

He continued:

"Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. "

Dr. John Creaux, voodoo priest, was most definitely in the house and he was truly pissed off!!!

It truly made for a memorable show, unlike any other I've ever seen from Dr. John.

I suppose the only bad thing was that after that, Gov't Mule really didn't hold much impact. Although they did start off strong with a version of "John The Revelator" that seemed to continue on where Dr. John left off, I must admit that the set seemed to just ramble on at times. We ended up staying for the first set, but decided to call it a night after that, with the memories of Dr. John's rant still fresh in our hearts and minds!!

It was probably good to turn in earlier than expected, as Sunday looked like it was going to be the toughest day of the Festival. I still hadn't begun to decide who I was going to see and who I was going to miss on the final day. One thing was certain----there was NO WAY to see everyone that I'd have liked to. It was really a stellar lineup on Sunday.

We set off fairly early Sunday, as I was most certainly not going to miss a chance to see the first lady of New Orleans Jazz, Miss Germaine Bazzle at 12:30. I'll never forget hearing her for the first time during the year of the "MudFest" as I recall it. Kevin Rock has a great picture of a little boy on his father's shoulders snapping his fingers along to Ms. Bazzle's singing. It's a classic, but you'll have to settle for one of mine instead!

One of the things she's famous for is her ability to make her voice sound like almost any musical instrument. This photo is her "playing" a trombone!

Miss Germaine Bazzle


It was really the perfect way to start the final day the Fest, and it got so good to me that I decided to stick around the Jazz tent for a little of Jeremy Davenport. He'd been displaced to St. Louis by Katrina, but is now back in town doing his regular gig at the Ritz Carlton.

Davenport is a bit of a modern Chet Baker, alternating between his trumpet and his gorgeous vocals.

Jeremy Davenport on stage

I really didn't stick around for long, as the race had begun. I was gonna have to make some tough choices from here on, and I decided to try and catch some of Big Sam's Funky Nation on the Congo Square stage.

I really hadn't known much about Big Sam Williams when I saw him fronting the horn section of last summer's Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint "River In Reverse" tour. He was simply mesmerizing!! No one on or off the stage had more fun than Big Sam, and it was contagious!

So, it was a real delight to see him out front with his own band, playing for the hometown crowd. And he's still having fun!!

Big Sam!

Seeing Sam really made me start thinking about the Costello/Toussaint show. And while I'd planned to skip Allen Toussaint this year, The Funky Nation put me in the mood. So off I headed for the ever crowded Acura Stage!

If you haven't seen Toussaint or don't know of him, it is a true oversight on your part---one that you should seek to correct. Not only is he one of America's great songwriters/arrangers/producers, but he is also a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

When I arrived at the Acura stage, Toussaint and his band were performing "Who's Gonna Help A Brother" from the "River In Reverse" record and he carried on this theme to the end of his set (I just couldn't pull myself away) where he called out to displaced New Orleanians (including the 2 year no show Neville Bros) to "Come Home!".

Allen Toussaint calling 'em home!

At this point I just gave up on the idea of trying to trot across the fairgrounds to see a bit of Joss Stone and settled in to see the legendary Steely Dan perform for the first time in over a quarter century!

And look who reared his ugly head while I was waiting!! None other than the infamous "Beatle Bob".

Arrgghh, it's Beatle Bob!!!

It was really great to see Steely Dan again after all those years. As usual, Becker and Fagen have surrounded themselves with a phenomenal group of young players who have thoroughly mastered Dan's extensive catalog.

I can't really think of a song you'd want to hear that they didn't perform. Fagen was in good voice and good humor, and Becker reeled off a number of tasty solos on his strat. I had to leave before their finale because I'd sworn to myself that I wouldn't miss seeing Dottie Peoples in the Gospel tent, but I fully intend to not wait another 25 years to see Steely Dan again!!

Steely Dan at Jazz Fest 2007

Walter Becker solos!

Donald Fagen (melodica slung over shoulder) sings!

So, off I went in search of salvation from the Gospel Tent on this most glorious of Sundays!

I'd never heard of Dottie Peoples until I picked up the tribute CD, "Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs Of Bob Dylan" and heard her incredible version of "I Believe In You", but after hearing that and hearing what other folks were saying about her, I knew she was not to be missed.

Now there are a lot of wonderful things to do at Jazz Fest, but none is better than Sunday church at the Gospel Tent. If you don't believe when you walk in, you're gonna have a hard time walking out without at least a little salvation!! And Dottie was most definitely conducting services on this Sunday. Backed by a small, but very rocking band, she was bringing the house down with her soulful and sincere ministry.

Dottie Peoples spreading The Word

Praising The Lord in the Gospel Tent!!

And you know, while I'd had every intention of walking out of Dottie's set and heading off to see a little Harry Connick, Jr. or perhaps Taj Mahal, when I walked out of that tent, it just felt right to close it out just like that.

This final segment of the 2007 Jazz Fest had begun with an admonishing reading of scripture by Dr. John and it seemed fitting that it end with the singing of His praises by Dottie Peoples!

As I walked to the buses to head back to the hotel, I was already missing New Orleans, knowing I'd have to wait another year before I could get back here for more of the truly spiritual healing that only this city can provide. We can only pray that by the time we get back next year, there will be considerably more recovery for the people of this fair city, cause the truth is it's those people that are the true spirit of the city. Without them, there'd be none of the food or music or pageantry that we so enjoy each year.

There's still much to be done, and I'd urge everyone reading this to help in whatever way you can.

If you can go visit and spend a little money on food and lodging and maybe a few souvenirs, that'd be great. If not, try to send a few bucks to Habitat For Humanity or The New Orleans Musicians Free Clinic. Both of these groups are doing great things on the ground locally in New Orleans.

And, of course, don't forget your prayers for the folks who are trying so hard to get their lives back together!!

St. Louis Cathedral as seen from Jackson Square

Jazz Fest 2007- Part 2

So, where were we when we left off?

Ah yes, I recall. We had just gotten back to our lovely hotel (The Homewood Suites on Poydras--good price, good location, free Abita beer) after the Rain Fest..............er, Jazz Fest on Friday.

My biggest problems at this point were that my phone had drowned, despite being in my pocket all day (NOTE: Cellphones do NOT like water), and my only comfortable pair of shoes were saturated with about 3 pounds of water each. And we had tickets to see the Bayou Rendezvous at Howlin' Wolf that night, so I needed some decent footware. Not to fear-----about an hour with a hairdryer blowing on high inside a shoe will dry it right out as good as new!! Just glad they stick those things on the walls of hotel bathrooms these days.

So anyway, off we went in search of nighttime entertainment and food. Not having reservations, we settled for an old favorite, Mulates. This is a good ole boy place that serves great cajun food (the Catfish smothered in Crawfish Etoufee sauce was as good as ever), cold Abita Amber, and on top of that is filled with old guys from the bayou out for a night of dancing to a live cajun band. It's about as good a time as you can have with your clothes on, especially if you're up for a stroll on the dance floor. Even if you're not, it's always a good time to sit back and watch these old coots pulling the young lovelies out onto the floor!

After filling our bellies (we hadn't eaten much at the fest due to the inclimate weather) we headed down to Howlin' Wolf. Now, I believe it's in a new location now. What used to be the Wolf is now a club called the Republic (BTW--I could be totally wrong about this). I believe Howlin' Wolf is now in a building that used to house a 2nd Praline Connection restaurant and also had a performance space in it. Anyway, it turned out to be real nice, spacious venue that was already cooking by the time we walked in. On stage was one of those acts that you're always stumbling into in New Orleans........ someone you'd have never sought out on your own but turn out to be just great. The guys name is Pap Mali. Well, okay, his real name is Malcolm Welbourne, but that doesn't matter. He's a young guy from Shreveport who spent his summers soaking up the funk music of New Orleans while vacationing there with his grandparents as a kid. Joining him onstage was the ubiquitous Henry Butler on piano as well as his own usual bass player and drummer. I forget the moniker they were going by that night, but they definitely had a swamp/funk groove going that was just great. Mali's guitar was deep and rich with voodoo soul. On top of that (for those of you who know him), I swear he looks just like Marty Cole with dreadlocks!!!!

Papa Mali (no, I didn't take this pic--it's from the net)

So, anyway, the Papa Mali set was a real treat and soon to follow were the New Orleans Social Club, consisting of Butler on piano (he really was everywhere), Leo Nocentelli on guitar, George Porter, Jr. on bass, and Ivan Neville on organ. They also played a very hot set. Butler was just a madman-at times they really had to reign him back in. He was really playing like a man possessed!! Unfortunately, my poor blistered (and now waterlogged) feet just couldn't hold up so we called it a night at about 1 am with the Social Club still onstage and another act yet to even appear!! Day 2 of the Fest loomed large ahead!

With the sun reemerging, Saturday brought with it exceptional crowds to the fairgrounds for day two. While there were soggy areas, it was really surprising how well the grounds had held up under the Friday rains. Crowd shot at Gentilly Stage on Day 2

This was Leah Chase's day in the Jazz Tent, so after morning Gumbo, I settled in there to try and get a good seat for a show that always draws a large and grateful local crowd. The act before Leah was a band called Woodshed, led by standup acoustic bassist James Singleton. Today, they were sharing the bill with electric bass virtuoso Roland Guerin. One of the highlights was an old jazz standard (and sorry, but I just can't recall what it was) performed solely by Singleton and Guerin. Guerin and Singleton: Dueling Basses

I managed to work my way into the middle section of the seating area by the time Leah appeared with her crack band, led by pianist and arranger Michael Pellera. It was to be a special day for me, when Leah announced that I had suggested she consider working up a jazz version of a Brian Wilson song. Now, up to then, all she really knew of the Beach Boys was "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "California Girls", but she took my suggestion to heart and dedicated a version of the Wilson ballad, "God Only Knows" to me. Not only was it touching of her to do it, but the version that Michael arranged for her was a total surprise with it's uptempo swing beat. It was a real surprise and a real treat for me. The crowd seemed to love her adventurousness too!

Here are a few pics of Leah's set:

Leah performing in front of a backdrop pic of her from a prior Fest

Leah's pianist and arranger, Michael Pellera

Leah with her sax player, a young UNO music student

From here I headed over to the Gospel Tent in hopes of catching some of Irma Thomas' tribute to Mahalia Jackson.............me and everyone else at the Fest!!! I couldn't get within 30 yards of the tent, and while I could still hear the sweet sounds, I elected to only linger a few minutes before heading out to explore a bit. My ultimate goal was to position myself for the Allman Brothers Band set, my first time seeing them live since slide wizard Derek Trucks joined the band. In the meantime, I strolled through some of the artisans stands to do a little shopping.

Jazz Fest Beads are always a favorite gift (we all know the "price" for a set of beads!!) This artist's alleged stripper girlfriend is every bit as colorful as his artwork!

I ultimately ended up at the Gentilly Stage, well before the Allman's scheduled time and just as a local band called Cowboy Mouth was taking the stage. I'd heard the name before but never seen or heard them play. The crowd, which I assumed was there for the Allman's, clearly knew these local favorites and were nearly as enthusiastic for the band as the band's leader, drummer Fred LeBlanc, was for them. From his first yelps of "Are you happy to be alive??!!!" through the final encore (a cover of Springsteen's "Born To Run") LeBlanc was feverishly working the crowd into a frenzy. He stood behind his drumset, which was positioned front and center, for a large part of the show and truly set the crowd on fire!

Cowboy Mouth working the crowd!

It was the perfect setup for the Allman Brothers, who came onstage to an absolutely packed Gentilly Stage audience.

The Allman Brothers take the stage.

The Allman's 2 hour set not only included classic such as "Statesboro Blues" and "Melissa", but also covers of Dr. John's "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" and Van The Man's "Into The Mystic". The set climaxed when they brought out Susan Tedeschi and former Allman keyboardist (and current Rolling Stones musical director and keyboardist) Chuck Leavell for an Allman's take on The Band's "The Weight", followed by a 16 minute version of "Jessica".

Chuck Leavell with The Allman Bros.

Dancing to the sounds of "Jessica".

I headed towards the buses as they were playing the last notes of closer "One Way Out". It was a truly beautiful day at jazz fest!!

(To Be Continued)

Jazz Fest 2007 (part 1)

JAZZ FEST 2007

Well, better late than never I suppose. Last year I did a great job of writing about the fest each day, as it happened, but this time---partially due to computer issues and partly due to pure sloth, I didn’t get it done.
So, I decided to approach it a bit differently and insert some photos I took to at least partially illustrate my text. This was my first time in 15 years to take a camera and I must admit that it was a lot of fun to document some of the things I saw. I regret not having the camera with me on numerous occasions (e.g.: the night shows), but that’s life!

So, that said, let’s get started!

We actually arrived on Wednesday before the 2nd weekend. When we made our reservations we just didn’t know if they’d go back to a 4 day 2nd weekend, so we erred on the side of having a room, and when it was decided to leave it at 3 days, the temptation of an extra day in the city was too good to give up.

It was encouraging to note that as we flew into Louis Armstrong International, there were far fewer blue tarps noticeable from the air-the first of what I hoped would be good signs of progress towards renewal and reconstruction.

We arrived to a typical beautiful although humid summer day and, given it was near lunchtime, we made our way over to Mothers, which seems to have become our traditional first meal. For those not familiar, Mother’s is a cafeteria style restaurant that always has long lines waiting to get inside for this delicious fare.


Above is a pic of my friend Bob Bernard (an 18-year vet of Jazz Fest) holding the Mother’s menu.




They specialize in Po’ Boys, but I just have trouble deciding and always end up with the enormous combo platter: That’s jambalaya up front, crawfish etoufee to the left, and red beans and rice to the right. Somewhere in the midst of it all is a dollop of delicious potato salad (for God’s sake, NEVER say you don’t want any!!!). In the background is a side of greens, a loaf of French bread, and of course, an Abita Amber to wash it down with. THE TRIP HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!!!!

Following lunch we took in some much needed exercise by traipsing through the quarter (much to my chagrin, in shoes that were not meant for this, resulting in sore feet for the rest of the trip). Our excursion into the French Quarter was highlighted by the discovery that a favorite artisan of David’s, Oscar Of New Orleans, was back in town. Oscar makes handcrafted jewelry (pins and earrings) that have been great gifts for many years. Last year we were all worried and heartbroken to find that Oscar was not in New Orleans post-Katrina. As it turns out, he has relocated in Georgia and is doing fine and was back for the fest this year. Here’s hoping he’s able to come back home for good soon!

I took my first pic of Jackson Square with the beautiful St Louis Cathedral in the background, but I think my pic of the backyard, as it were, of the cathedral is an even better pic for here:
Note the sliver of blue tarp on the roof in the far righthand corner!

I also like this picture of a couple of mimes (chatting) in the Square.


That evening we had another wonderful meal at NOLA, Chef Emeril Lagasse’s place in the Quarter. It never fails to delight and this night was no exception. The sweet potato cheesecake was the perfect end to an exquisite meal!!

We made our way from dinner that night over to the Hotel Monteleone on Royal. It had been our homebase for many years in the early days and it’s Carousel Bar remains a favorite watering hole. This year, for the first time, the hotel was hosting nighttime shows in the lounge of the bar. Now, if you’ve never been there, this is a very small venue, and they were hosting some pretty big names! Our night, we were delighted to see the one and only Jon Cleary play the bar’s piano for an overflowing crowd (yes, we lucked out and got a great seat). He was just fantastic, rollicking through a set that ran the gamut from Professor Longhair to Little Willie John, to Fats Domino. The man has to have the fastest right hand I’ve ever heard play a piano!!

Day 2 brought another lovely and leisurely day of exploration. We took advantage of the extra day to check out the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. I’d strongly encourage a visit if you have some time. Their permanent collection is worth the trip alone, and was augmented during our visit by a display of Hal Leonard’s jazz photography and a display of photos of Southern Writers. The museum and art districts really looked great. There seemed to be a lot of people and a lot of construction in the area. Looked like a fair number of condominiums were being built and the museums and galleries really seemed to be doing well. It was great to see!

We also wandered over to Thoupitoulis, where we had dinner reservations for a new place called Cochon that night. Turned out to be quite good (and very busy, with a seemingly steady stream of taxis dropping off diners). The focus is on Southern cuisine and my Cochon (pork) with cracklin’s certainly fit the bill.

After dinner we walked up to the Harrah’s hotel which is the home of a new Jazz club called The 528 Club. It just so happened that my dear friend, Leah Chase, was performing there that night as a warmup for her Saturday Fest gig. It was really great to see her in such an intimate setting, but she had a little surprise planned for us for Jazz Fest, so she threw us out after her first set so she could rehearse it. Before that though, we had a special treat when Harry Shearer showed up to catch her set. Apparently Leah and Harry are old friends and he stopped by to say hello. It was a real delight to get to sit down and chat with him for a few minutes. He’s a true friend to New Orleans and, as such, a fine fellow from my point of view!!
Me, Leah, and Harry Shearer at Club 528 at Harrah’s Hotel.

And so, the actually Fest itself was about to begin Friday morning. But, of course, the God’s decided to have something to say about that!!!!

Texas had been experiencing some pretty severe storms the whole time we’d been down, but they always seemed to veer north before getting to the Crescent City. That was about to change.

As we gathered our things together to set off for Friday’s opening day of Weekend 2, David brought us all rain ponchos to ward off the predicted severe weather that was rapidly descending upon us. Unfortunately, it turns out David is no Marie Laveau!!! It was to be a very wet first day!!

Still, off we went despite the forecasts!

I had a truly special treat this year in that I met up on Friday with one of my old Med School classmates, Gene Arrington, and his wife Nancy. I hadn’t seen Gene and Nancy since we graduated some 22 years ago, despite the fact that Gene and I had been pretty tight during school---mainly because of our mutual love of all things musical! As it turns out, he and Nan have been going to Jazz Fest for the last 5 years, but we never thought to ask the other about it. Anyway, better late than never, and it was great to be able to hook up with them early on Friday, shortly after downing my first Quail, Pheasant and Andouille Gumbo of the fest:
HEAVEN!!!!!!

The three of us (Gene, Nancy, and I) decided to start things off over at the Gentilly Stage, where a young local band, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, were kicking things off. It was already looking very bad and a few sprinkles were coming down as we settled in towards the back of the crowd. But, we all had our rain ponchos on and our umbrellas in hand so no big deal…………..until the truly Biblical hellfire and brimstone rains began. Before we could even begin to make a run for the grandstands cover, the clouds burst in one of the heaviest rainstorms I’ve ever witnessed (later reports said it was raining at a rate of something like 6 inches per hour). We finally ducked under a tent covering some of the concrete bleachers of the grandstand, where the food demonstrations are held, but not before every square inch of our bodies was thoroughly soaked---and I mean EVERY square inch, including shoes, socks, and underwear!!! Gene, Nancy and I-----just a bit soggy (but happy!!!).

Just take a look at the water pouring off the grandstand!!

At this point, it really didn’t matter any longer how much it rained----we couldn’t possibly be any wetter than we were, so when things slowed down a bit we ventured out anyway. We all really had our hearts on seeing Chuck Leavell fronting Randall Bramblett’s band so we waded over to the Acura stage where a few other diehards were holding out hope for a miracle turn of the weather.

Here are some photos as we stood waiting:
Members of the band wondering if they’d get to play today. A very wet David Strait arrives on the scene!!

A Panoramic view of the flooded field in front of the Acura Stage.
Fess watching over us all and driving the rain away!!
And finally, the clouds break and Leavell et al start their set----only about 1 ½ hours late!!






















It was truly amazing that anyone played that afternoon, but there they were, and despite a shortened set, it was great to see this “Sea Level” reunion take place!!


After this rousing set, I parted ways for the day with the Arrington’s and joined up with David Strait at the Lagniappe Stage to catch Harry Shearer’s wife, Judith Owen, in her Jazz Fest debut. This is really a lovely little stage. It sits nestled behind (actually in the center of) the Grandstand and is surrounded by gardens. I was able to find a cozy (and dry) spot to take off and wring out my soggy shoes and socks and enjoy her show……..and an odd one it was. The Welsh (as she is) turn out to have very “Pythonesque” senses of humor so there were nearly as many laughs as songs. She actually started off with a great version of Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water”, accompanied only by herself on piano. She was later joined by a bass player and then by local singer Philip Manuel (see photo). It was a very enjoyable set and a great few minutes off my watery dogs, whch were in grave danger of developing trenchfoot!!
Judith Owen and Philip Manuel.

From there, Dave and I went over to the Gentilly stage and caught several songs in the Counting Crows set before boarding the buses home for the day.
Counting Crows on the Gentilly Stage.



















Here are a few photos from “the rain day”:
This little guy didn’t mind the rain at all!!
These girls were prepared (and fashion-coordinated).
Dave and Bob relaxing after an exhausting and wet day (it’s quite possible they’d had a sip or two of Wild Turkey by the time this pic was taken).

(To Be Continued)