The people have the power
The people have the power
The people have the power
The power to dream / to rule
to wrestle the world from fools
it's decreed the people rule
it's decreed the people rule
LISTEN
I believe everything we dream
can come to pass through our union
we can turn the world around
we can turn the earth's revolution
we have the power
People have the power ...
--Patti Smith, "People Have the Power"
Today I heard Patti Smith stand in front of a microphone and sing this song to a huge crowd, all standing in the rain and singing every word as she performed. No lip synching, no choreographed dancers, no douchebag standing around screaming stuff during the song.
Beyoncé's biggest hit is "Irreplaceable." Here are some of the lyrics:
You can pack all your bags we're finished (you must not know 'bout me)
'Cause you made your bed now lay in it (you must not know 'bout me)
I could have another you by tomorrow
Don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable?
Ohhhh kaaaaayy.
This is why I checked out of popular music a long time ago. That and the "artists" don't actually, you know, play musical instruments.
As you may have figured out, the New Orleans skies opened up on Jazz Festival today, dumping crazy rain on the Fair Grounds where it takes place. Putting sand down on the more heavily trafficked paths didn't do much to improve the footing, but it did make the place smell like wet horse. Which is not that great. On the other hand, the rains kept the crowds and the temperature down. In fact, it was about the coolest Jazz Fest day I can remember, except the day in 2005 I saw Isaac Hayes, which really was one of the most spectacular days ever, on many accounts.
Before I get into the day's events, I want to address Kimberly's point about Billy Joel not being jazz. Long ago, without actually acknowledging it, the Jazz Festival started relying on crowd-drawing "headliners" to bankroll the Festival. Headliners draw ticket buying crowds in numbers sufficient to pay the bills (the Festival is, to my knowledge, a non-profit corporation). The Fest powers that be don't particularly bother to make sure that these headliners have any real connection to jazz music, or even musical styles originating in Louisiana (which is what the Festival actually showcases, explaining the presence of gospel, blues, rap, and Cajun musical acts). This would explain how the Foo Fighters wind up playing something ostensibly called a "jazz festival." So the name "Jazz Festival" is more of a brand name at this point than a true description. Though, to their credit, the Fest organizers haven't radically departed from the premise that the musical acts should at least have some thread of a connection to Louisiana musical styles. Bear in mind, Louisiana has spawned or nurtured a lot of musical styles (the range from Louis Armstrong to Jerry Lee Lewis to the Neville Brothers to Dewey Balfa takes in a lot of territory). So its not too difficult to connect a lot of music to Louisiana. On the other hand, the Festival hasn't been too cynical about booking. Its not like Metallica has ever played here. Or Yo Yo Ma.
Today as I walked up to the Fair Grounds, I saw some kids playing "Simon Says" at the church playground. What year is this? 1972? How come these kids aren't sitting in front of a TV? Or ensconced in some sort of "we are all equal and everyone is beautiful" indoctrination course? Geez. Doesn't Simon Says have "winners" and "losers" after all? How can everyone's human dignity be affirmed by branding someone as a "loser"?
I arrived in time to participate in the Gospel Tent's morning prayer, after the stage crew sang "This Is the Day The Lord Hath Made." First up was the Eleanor McMains "Singing Mustangs" Gospel Choir. I like that all these inner city schools have spawned active and accomplished gospel choirs. Its inspiring seeing all these kids participating in an after school activity that doesn't involve playing X-Box or hanging out in the streets. And they're all really good too, so they gain that sense of accomplishment. Another great thing about the Gospel Tent is that its really the only Jazz Fest stage that's truly local. It began at the very first Festival when Brother Sherman Washington, leader of the Zion Harmonizers, volunteered to organize a gospel stage. Through his leadership over all these years, the local gospel music and church community has run the Gospel Tent ever since. Though some national acts play from time to time, it almost entirely features New Orleans born and based musicians. The Gospel Tent's energy level may not approach that of the other stages, but its most certainly more consistently energetic, and by far is the most genuine and non-commercial place in the Festival.
After charting a course for the day, I went to the Congo Square Stage (one of the larger of the numerous Festival Stages, generally featuring African or world music, or more contemporary African American music), to check out Grupo Sensacion, a Cuban/Latin group. The place was pretty empty, by Jazz Fest standards. Already it was evident that the impending rains would keep away the big crowds. I'm not too familiar with Cuban music but enjoyed the few songs I heard today. They had a couple dancing along to the music, and they appeared pretty talented. It wasn't strictly Cuban but seemed to take in a wide swath of Central American styles.
After they finished, I went on to see Mia Borders at the Acura Stage (the largest Festival stage). She's another New Orleanian with a guitar and a pen, kicking out her own deeply felt, profoundly stated songs. Whatevs. I really enjoy hearing all these songs of deep social import, each of which leads to an announcement that you can buy her CD at the merchandise tent. Don't these people know that no one buys CDs anymore? To be fair, Mia Borders is by no means a particularly egregious example of this phenomenon. I mean, if you can play the guitar and have multiple tattoos or piercings and wear pointedly non-conformist clothes, isn't there some law that you're automatically a Serious Artist? In all seriousness, I did mostly enjoy her show. I would liken her style to funky blues. The Black Crowes crossed my mind, as did Bonnie Raitt. The comparison was fairly obvious, but she's an up and comer on the New Orleans music scene.
From there I moved over to the Gentilly Stage to hear Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns. Get it? Little Big Horns? I'd never heard of her, but I'd seen on line that she was a must see. Glad I did. Boy was this ever unexpected. This was the same kind of 1900-1920 style jazz music one normally hears only at the Economy Music Hall Tent. She has a somewhat fierce vocal style, as if the singing doesn't really match the music. Accompanying her was also another couple dancing to those crazy new "jazz" tunes. Oh, and she has about one or a thousand tattoos, including multiple face tattoos. The face tattoo is basically how you say to the world "I will never work in an office. Or a pre-school."
Then I caught just a bit of Rosie Ledet and the Zyedeco Playboys. Rosie has a huge south Louisiana following and with good cause. I liked her straight ahead yet cool singing style. Usually with zydeco, it seems to me like the playing comes before the singing. But not with Rosie Ledet, who has a great voice. The thick crowd, somewhat unusual for the day, confirmed her stature. The rains had already started and the whole place was becoming muddier as the day wore on.
Next it was back to Congo Square for the last couple of songs from the Hot 8 Brass Band. This is a truly local group, much larger than the normal brass band. Both in number and size. Lets just say the "beedus" will deplete this group fairly soon. They evoke the other brass bands that have become so popular in New Orleans over the last 20 years. Later tonight while jogging, I saw the band unloading its equipment and walking in the Warehouse District. I guess there's a musician spectrum. At one end is the Hot 8 Brass Band, wearing silk screened t-shirts with your band name and moving your own equipment. At the other end is Sting. Well, at least the Hot 8 doesn't have any pompous, self-absorbed, preening douchebags. Like some other people I could name.
In my notes at this point, I have some diatribe about the "cult of New Orleans," that all the national musicians fawn over here. I had some line comparing New Orleans to Escape from New York that was pretty good. Let's just skip that for now.
And move on to Blended Voices, at the Jazz Tent. This featured legendary New Orleans jazz queen Germaine Bazzle, as well as local greats Phillip Manuel and Leslie Smith. With a large jazz orchestra, they covered a range of standards. Some they sang together, but mostly they sang solo, or "unblended." I try to catch Manuel every Festival, ever since his Nat King Cole tribute show. Bazzle is basically the queen of premier local jazz club, Snug Harbor. Dreamy jazz ballads in the rain (as the storms had come back by this point).
On to the Lagniappe Stage (in the Fair Grounds grandstand building) to catch Ingrid Lucia. Who looks suspiciously like my friend Martha Beaudry. Every year I want to hear Ingrid Lucia's full show, and every year I only catch a couple of songs. I stayed a little longer today. She sings jazz standards too, though a little more up tempo with a swing influence, and she has this coquettish falsetto voice, like Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot (modern reference).
On the way to Widespread Panic, I caught a little bit of the Delfeayo Marsalis show. Apparently there's only two musical families in this town: the Nevilles and the Marsalises. Its like they're the rival car dealership families in town. Anyway, Delfeayo is a trombonist, and was supported by a full jazz orchestra. Unlike other band leaders, he sat with the other band members. I didn't really stay long enough to get a full listening, but it struck me as fairly conservative, traditional big band jazz, less swing and more ballad. And how middle aged white guy am I? I liked that all his band members wore suits. Suit up!
OK, Widespread Panic. They've got this widespread following as the pre-eminent "jam band." I've never heard them until today. Though there's no arguing with success, and though the place appeared packed with entry-level brokers and commercial real estate account managers, I have to say I just don't get it. Actually, I do get it, I just don't agree with it. They've got four songs, and each one lasts about 45 minutes and sounds the same as the other three. The members just kind of stand there the whole time, motionless and expressionless. There's no show, as such. This is just musical cotton candy. The Jimmy Buffet of jam bands. Now, if this weren't already so long, I'd write about how these criticisms might appear to apply to the Grateful Dead, but they really don't. The Dead were much stronger songwriters, and Jerry was a virtuoso guitar player.
Finally, as noted above, I concluded with the Patti Smith show. This show really rocked. Despite having been performing for four decades, she still infused the songs with real passion and energy. Oh, and she's 66 years old. Not at all mailing it in. She still has her fastball. Unfortunately, she also looks like Henry Winkler. Patti Smith has an important place in music history. Before there was Joan Jett, Pink, Chrissie Hynde, Jewel, Deborah Harry, Kate Bush, Alanis Morrisette, or Annie Lennox, there was Patti Smith. She was more than just another rock singer. She was, and is, an actual poet, writer, and playwright. Highlights included a lengthy cover of several songs from the incredible Nuggets box set, Gloria, Because the Night, and Dancing Barefoot, in addition to People Have the Power. She made a point of dedicating one song to New Orleans, which normally would provoke me to eye rolling, but explained that after Sandy hit New York and New Jersey, they could really understand what New Orleans had endured with Katrina, and said New Yorkers still remember that New Orleans was hit. That doesn't warrant eye rolling. Towards the end, as People Have the Power wound down, she went into a rant about how people really do have power to fight governments and corporations, which she exhorted people to remember. This struck me as inspirational. While Carlos Santana's political rant left me irritated at best. The difference? Santana's rant was literally an appeal to vote for a candidate, Obama, while Smith's was more general. Santana's also little more than fawning, unquestioning, idol worship. I mean most of his rant was just embarrassingly over the top, and never-ending (even finding its way into songs, as he literally tried to lead cheers for Obama). Smith's was relatively brief, and more even-handed. And being a little subversive is totally rock and roll. Smith really exhibited a command of the stage, which is a rare quality. She showed that you don't have to litter the stage with dancers and mayhem to entertain. She was intense without becoming histrionic. She talked to the crowd some, and obviously was enjoying the show. Unlike a lot of other headliners who plainly are just there for the check. All in all, it was a great show and the day's highlight.
I lingered a bit afterwards, to buy t-shirts for various folks. At 7:15, 15 minutes after the fairly firm 7:00 cutoff time, Widespread Panic was still playing. I guess when you're in a groove, you just lose track of time.
Tomorrow: Willie Nelson and Marcia Ball.
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