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01 May

Jazzfest - Trombone Shorty

Written by Gary Stark
Friday, 02 May 2008
Friday was my first day at Jazzfest. Crowded. Very bloody crowded, and I hate crowds. People everybloodywhere. Thousands of them. Trombone Shorty takes to the stage All of the venues within the fairground were very heavily patronised, but you note the crowds from well before you get to the fairgrounds: on Canal St, outside the Sheraton, is where you get the shuttle from. There's a line that reaches around the corner, and a shortage of shuttles. After not moving in the queue for maybe fifteen minutes I decide to ignore the warnings about how few taxis there are coming back, and decide to cab it to the festival. Good decision: I get picked up by a local cabbie (of course) who is taking a friend of his to the festival. She's originally from ... Sydney! She sings, he plays the horn, I play bass ... we have a trio! Maryjane currently lives in Ireland, but comes to N'Awlins for Jazzfest every year. That's probably something I need to think about doing. Because my press tickets don't apply on the Friday or Saturday, I need to buy myself entry. $50, no re-entry privileges. No problems. I decide to just wander around for a while ... sample the atmosphere, sample the food, see who's where. I go to the press tent to collect my recording authorisation letter, and then just walk around the place, stopping at various stages and peeking into various tents. My first impression is that yes, it's very crowded: you can't get near any of the stages. I wander through the centre of the racetrack, stopping by a food stall for some lunch. For a fairground, the food is surprisingly good, and most items are less than $5 each. Over to the blues tent where the Lee Boys are belting it out. Into the jazz tent ... maybe this is where I should just camp ? Wander back to the other side again ... Trombone Shorty will be at the Congo Stage area shortly. While walking around the back I see this very elegantly attired gentleman: Mr Allen Toussaint. I trouble him for a brief interview, and being the gentleman that he is, he obliges. I get to the Congo Stage just as Trombone Shorty starts his set. It seems that the secret is out: this guy is good, and there's thousands of people in the crowd who know this for a fact. And he knows how to work the crowd too. The weather is hot, and so is the band; these guys are good! Rain threatens, but nobody cares. It's the music that's important here, and these guys have the audience in their hands. Blowin'! Everybody is smiling, and the music is the reason. As if on cue, just as the set finishes, the skies open up. Everyone gets wet, but nobody's spirits are dampened.

01 May

Written by Gary Stark
Friday, 02 May 2008
The surprise of the evening: Bourbon St has changed, and mostly for the better. it's still crass, noisy, etc ... but there seems to be more live music, although it's .... louder. I was truly surprised at how many bars were now playing live music, but also at how many of them were playing either blues or jazz. And if nothing else, some of them were very loud. I mean very loud. From there, a slow walk, via Royal - one of the most beautiful streets in the worl - down to Decatur, for a late dinner at the Crescent City Brewpub. The food was great, the beer hardly touched the sides ... And Cafe Du Mode to round out the night. I'm bushed; time to hit the hay.

01 May

Written by Gary Stark
Friday, 02 May 2008
There are some things that I consider to be essential when visiting New Orleans. A visit to Cafe Du Monde is one. Several, actually, the place is that good. Check that as done. Another is Laura's Candies. Their truffles are .... let's just say they'll be lucky to survive the weekend. Laura's has moved however, just down the road (Chartres St) from their old corner location, but on the same block. The truffles taste even better than I remember them. The French Market is being redone however. It seemed to be quieter this morning, and I don;t think that the (temporary, I believe) absence of the fruit and vegetable vendors helps at all.

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The Big Easy

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