A bit overdue for a What’s Up… concert post, but in the meantime enjoy as we share our #humblebrag #musicboner experience to our first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, as it was quite an experience and one I recommend.

(Original Headhunter) Bill Summers and Jazalsa

Second weekend was the pick for our crew. The Jazz Fest runs for 7 days over two weekends at the end of April and beginning of May every year. In its 44th year, the Festival is attended by hundreds of thousands from far reaches of the globe for its rich cultural cornucopia. To think that its just a celebration of jazz or even just music would be a gross miscalculation. Local food vendors, cultural and historical exhibits, a burgeoning artists market, oh, and twelve stages of music from the world over provide a delightful bounty for the senses. It’s truly an experience to behold and one I’ll be making sure to have again and again.

Vernon Reid of HeadFake

And when the festival ends around 8pm each day, the fun just begins as festivalgoers descend on the various restaurants, watering holes, and stages throughout the Crescent City. We had a rigorous agenda peppering food stops at Coop’s, Cochon, Verti Marte and more between our concert lineup which included sets by Lettuce, Soulive, Kermit Ruffins, HeadFake (with Doug Wimbish, Will Calhoun, Vernon Reid and Corey Glover), Lee Fields and the Expressions, Zigaboo Modeliste, Living Colour, and the very last Monday night at the Maple Leaf, after 13 years, by Papa Grows Funk.

Blurry pic of Papa Grows Funk warming up for their second set

This latter show packed Oak Street and included an outdoor crawfish boil and live art by Frenchy in a venue so extremely packed that I pretty much had my chest against the back of the person in front of me. It was tight, sweaty and very difficult to move around, but it was still pretty awesome.

Live rendering of Papa Grows Funk created by Frenchy

Sorry that this is a post report of the Jazz Fest, so you’ve missed this year’s, but there is always next…