Jazz Fest goes back to eight days for the first time in several years and Local’s Day moves to the first Thursday to accommodate the behemoth that has been dubbed Rolling Stones Day on May 2. If you have a Louisiana driver’s license you can get into the Fairgrounds for $50 on April 25.
There is a lot of music to choose from on what will arguably the least crowded day. Start with Michael Skinkus and Moyuba in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion. Each year, this relatively new, tented space gets a little better as the good folks at Festival Productions figure out how to integrate it into the larger festival.
Though Skinkus and his group focus more on Afro-Cuban worship music, they will easily fit conceptual into this year’s featured nation, which is Colombia.
You have five minutes after that set ends to stroll the 100 or so yards to the Jazz and Heritage stage for the Forgotten Souls. This brass band supergroup features musicians that take the tradition seriously. Expect to see Kirk Joseph of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Roderick Paulin, formerly of the Rebirth Brass Band. Shameless plug—I have a feature about the group in OffBeat magazine’s Jazz Fest Bible.
The second time slot means it’s time to head to one of the big stages for the New Orleans Nightcrawlers on Gentilly. This will be a bittersweet set because the Grammy award-winning group recently lost their snare drummer to a drunk driver’s recklessness. The sweet part is the late Kerry “Fatman” Hunter’s teenage niece is now playing snare in the band.
All my picks are shaping up to include a lot of brass band music. Rancho Aparte (pictured at top) is a like-minded ensemble from Colombia. They will lead a parade at 3:10 PM and then close out the Cultural Exchange Pavilion. Shameless plug, part 2—I have another feature about several of the Colombian bands, including this one, in OffBeat magazine’s Jazz Fest Bible.
Another band I plan on checking out is Mokoomba of Zimbabwe. This guitar-centered group combines traditional and modern instruments and blends African styles like soukous with funk and reggae. They play at 4:15 PM on the Congo Square stage. Check back tomorrow for Friday picks!
Looking like a great start!!