Let’s just plunge right in to the day’s headline: Aretha Franklin’s last minute cancellation and subsequent replacement by Earth, Wind and Fire. I woke up this morning, checked Facebook and saw the announcement. Predictably, no reason was given. Commenters, predictably, lit her up. A couple of people noted a story in the Detroit News that the state of Michigan had filed an $11,000 tax lien against her and that she acknowledged its legitimacy but blamed inattention caused from being on the road. These commenters suggested she skipped the Jazz Fest gig to go clear up the tax lien, pointing to quotes indicating she would clear the matter up when she returned from her concert schedule. If that’s so, it makes no sense. The Jazz Fest job would have paid far more than $11,000, and certainly would have paid far more than whatever interest would accrue in the one day she’d be in New Orleans. Commenters also pointed out she had withdrawn from playing Jazz Fest last year, citing fatigue after playing the Presidential inaugural. But last year it wasn’t last minute, like this year. Who knows the real reason? But Jazz Festival, and New Orleans as well, must feel like Charlie Brown seeing Lucy pull the football out from under him yet again. Some commenters expressed frustration at having paid high ticket prices to see her in other shows, only to feel like she put on a far too short performance lacking any energy or enthusiasm. I have to say, I heard similar complaints about her 1993 Jazz Festival performance, which I attended. I enjoyed that show, but many friends who attended thought she mailed it in. Frankly, I had suspicions coming into this weekend that Aretha’s performance wouldn’t necessarily live up to my expectations. Yet, unless there was something extremely profound preventing her from playing, this decision shows no respect for fans, and certainly shows no respect for the Jazz Festival organization that had patiently worked with her towards her appearance.
As you’ll see later, Earth, Wind & Fire, who replaced her, really killed it so in the end it was no big deal.
Today was cloudy and cooler than yesterday, so there’d be no dying covered in sweat or sunburn issues. In a calculated gamble that the rains would hold up, we eschewed panchos and boots. Happily, the weather cooperated with us and we were spared the ordeal of living in a mud slide, which is far better than I can say about being here last year when the skies opened up on Friday, turning the whole Festival site into a big mud pit. Hoping to avoid what World War I soldiers called “trench foot” I brought boots this year. Which I chose not to wear today because I was so sure the rain would go away. Good call me!
We arrived at the Gospel Tent just as the morning prayer ended and took in the first act of the day, Gloria Bell and the Revelation Gospel Singers. I’m reluctant to just slam any gospel acts, certainly not amateurs or local acts. I’ll just say this group was a bit beyond its “sell by” date. They were a good opening act for 11:10 a.m.
On the Times-Picayune’s recommendation, we quickly beat it to the Blues Tent for J. Monique D’ Blues Band. This guy was a professional so no such courtesies for him. This guy represents a curious mentality among a certain type of New Orleans professional musician, thinking that New Orleans is the sun and the world revolves around it. This band plays the kind of McGeneric loud, clunking, imaginationless noise played in certain “blues clubs,” like one might hear on Bourbon Street. Tourist music. Oh, and as I photographed later, dude was wearing authentic alligator dress shoes. How banking industry lobbyist of you. Yet for some reason, this guy, like some other New Orleans musicians has this idea that they occupy the center of the universe. This self-aggrandizing smugness breeds an insufferability that’s difficult to take. I mean after all, you live in Gentilly (or some such local neighborhood), just how important can you really be? Yet, depite his diatribe about all those who have fallen for the cause in the last year, I was shocked to learn of Marva Wright’s passing. Turns out she had a couple of strokes last summer, and died in March of complications. Marva was an old hand when I first moved here. She was tremendously big in every way, and I still remember seeing her at Tipitina’s one night back when I lived here. She belted out blues lyrics as big as her own frame, which was considerable. She sang a song that night about a roach crawling to work, only to be topped by statements like she was “built for comfort and not for speed.” Her death at 62 is a real shame.
From there it was back to the Gospel Tent after a quick stop for some spicy white beans and rice, for a real find this Jazz Festival, the Rocks of Harmony. These guys brought it. All were fairly senior, and dressed in sharp brown pinstripe, three-piece suits straight out of American Gangster. Everyone had a powerful voice, and members went into the crowd at times. Songs like “Jesus Paid the Rent” really showcased them, and brought the crowd to its feet. The Gospel Tent was a’ rockin.
After their show, we headed over to the Acura Stage (the largest one) for Buckwheat Zydeco. Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural has been playing and shredding modern zydeco for over 20 years now. I’ve seen many performances both at Jazz Fest and elsewhere and you can usually count on them for a rockin’ performance. Today, however, was a little different. The songs were Pfish-like in length and tended to drag. In about a half hour span they played two songs. This wasn’t the Buckwheat Zydeco shows of the past. While occasionally the band got reenergized, it wasn’t often. Hopefully they haven’t caught the Zachary Richard disease. Still, it must be hard in New Orleans to open for the Dixie Cups and Allen Toussaint.
Noticeably the crowd is much thicker today than yesterday, though its still manageable. Neither Aretha’s cancellation nor the gloomy skies have kept many people away. After Buckwheat Zydeco finished we got the combo oyster pattie, crawfish beignets and crawfish sack. Basically, yumminess on a plate. Also a massive stroke on a plate. Highly recommended.
We took it over to the Jazz Tent for Astral Project, a New Orleans-based modern jazz group. The tent was totally full, as the band is a local favorite. While this may sound odd, the group was so precise and so technically complete, and the playing so pitch perfect that it sounded like listening to a CD rather than a live performance. That’s a strange and counter-intuitive thing to fault musicians for, but in many ways, the rough edges that come from a one-time performance are what make live shows special. Crowd interaction, spontaneity, passion…all seemed lacking. So, yes, I didn’t enjoy them as much because they played too well.
From there we went back to the Acura Stage for the Dixie Cups. This trio goes all the way back to the late 1950s/early 1960s New Orleans R&B era, but hit it big as a girl group with “Chapel of Love.” The set wasn’t widely attended, but they sang lots of great early 60s songs like “Twistin the Night Away” and “Sea Cruise,” and passed out hankies for “Chapel of Love.” Other stages may have been more crowded, but no one was having as much fun as we were at the Dixie Cups. “Bend over and let me see you shake your tail feather!”
After the last strains of “Iko Iko” had faded, we walked over to the Fais-Do-Do stage for the first time today for Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. This is another act that’s been around for over 20 years, working out of Mamou (also home of Fred’s Lounge). They’re more French than the typical Cajun group, not just the usual chanky-chank music. For a few songs they were joined by the Bonerama horns. Bonerama is a local New Orleans favorite, fronted by three trombone gunslingers and playing rock influenced brass music. Here again, the music was a little more subdued than usual, with the group working a softer vein. Not a lot of dancing.
Before he ended we jumped on over to Jose Feliciano. You may remember him for the theme song from Chico and the Man, or for his Light My Fire cover of the old Doors song. I didn’t expect much, but I’d seen Allen Toussaint, who was playing at the same time at the Acura Stage, last year, so thought Jose was worth checking out. Turns out, I was right. He had a large band and played a really diverse set, covering songs as mellow as “Billie Jean” or “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” to a shocking yet rocking cover of “Purple Haze,” complete with a little Hendrix-style “Star Spangled Banner” thrown in, followed up by the old Elvis tune “I’ve Got a Woman.” Who knew that Jose Feliciano could shred it with the boys? The show was so good and the crowd reaction so positive that we held over longer than planned to catch the entire show. Towards the end he took a turn on timpani and bongos, and for the encore played the old Fats Domino song “I’m Walkin.” After introducing the band, he did something I’ve never heard: he thanked the crew. Just an altogether great performance, one of those Jazz Fest finds that makes coming here worthwhile.
After that show concluded, we got a little jama jama and fried plantains and settled in at the Acura Stage for the Earth, Wind and Fire show. Starting with Quint Davis' introduction (a real sign of Jazz Fest elite status), they launched into "Boogie Wonderland," that show was rocking all the way through, except when they played their smooth songs. Like the best 1960s and 70s R&B groups, much of their movements were choreographed. They played all their great songs: "After the Love has Gone," "Shining Star," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "September," "Sing a Song," and "Heart's Afire." They went past 7 (another sign of status), after giving us about an hour and half of a rollicking dance party. Someone in the crowd held a sign that said "Thanks Aretha." Thanks indeed. Thanks.
Tomorrow-the rockers return!
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