Weekend 2 Review: Variety Is The Spice Of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2023

Such unbridled joy to return once again for the final four days of the 52nd edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. After last year’s euphoric rebirth from the unprecedented pandemic stop-in-the-action granted relief to the soul after a long three-year pause, it was back to business. 2023’s edition felt familiar, comfortable and happily same as it ever was, don’t ever change (too much) Jazz Fest.

Every time the gates to the Fairgrounds open for one of the two big yearly weekends of the cultural, gastronomic and musical feast that is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and fest-goers new and old begin to pack the place, there’s a feeling of familiarity with the rarely changing layout of the grounds, endlessly repeatable musical/culinary fare and irresistible and downright contagious feeling that only exists inside these gates.

The only major change was the transition to a cashless system for all food, drink and merch vendors across the grounds, yet after 11 years attending Jazz Fest, I’m happy to report, very little has materially changed since the 2000s when festival producer Quint Davis started expanding the booking palette to include a broader array of international superstars, I’d be disappointed if that doesn’t continue to be the case.

Of note, Jazz Fest has a rich history of celebrating local legends who’ve crossed to the other side in grand fashion, and no one’s presence was missed more than Walter “Wolfman” Washington this year. His photo was framed prominently nearest the stage in the corner of the Blues Tent he called home for decades, and, as you’ll read below, WWW’s Roadmasters gave a king’s tribute, ensuring his legacy will live on and continue for years after his astral departure.

---

Thursday, May 4

Blato Zlato :: Lagniappe Stage : 11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.

The sheer magnitude of international sonic eclecticism offered throughout the Fest was plain to see from the first notes of the weekend in the Fairgrounds’ hidden oasis, the Lagniappe Stage tucked into the paddock where horses stage prior to hitting the track on race days. Blato Zlato is a relative newcomer to the scene – the New Orleans-based group dedicated to Bulgarian folk takes inspiration from a variety of Eastern European sounds and, despite being the first band of its ilk to play Jazz Fest in the over five decades of the event’s existence, the group fit right in and found a way to expand on the already vast palette.

The far-out sounds could’ve fit in easily as a soundtrack to Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings and notably, a few Bulgarian flags flew in the crowd, showing that folks from all corners of the planet can find representation across the dozen or so stages and hundreds of hours of live performances at Jazz Fest. Blato brought in a solid turnout for a pre-noon opening set, this group of ladies will surely be around Fest for years to come and could rightfully stake the claim that “this is the first time Bulgarian folk music has been played at this festival.”

The Roadmasters’ Tribute to Walter “Wolfman” Washington with Special Guests :: Blues Tent : 4:10 – 5:15 p.m.

For ages, there were few more reliable good times to be had than Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s weekly Sunday shows with his pal Joe Krown, occurring every week for years at Oak Street’s Maple Leaf Bar. When the legendary, always-grinning blues guitarist passed at the end of 2022, the outpouring of remembrances across the city and music industry at large showed just how beloved the dapper and kind man was and forever will be. His main band The Roadmasters held down a packed Blues Tent mid-afternoon on Local Thursday, laying down an array of Walter’s deep catalog, and hosting a revolving door of special guests that included a stunning rendition of “Even Now” by Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Jon Cleary (notably on guitar instead of keys), keyboardist John “Papa” Gros and Deacon John (on “Ain’t That Lovin’ You”), in addition to his wife Michelle Washington, who gave thanks on the mic. A right proper sendoff to one of the gone-too-soon legends I’ll personally miss seeing around town the most.

Santana :: Festival Stage :: 5:20 – 7:00 p.m.

“Local Thursday” is commonly one of the most lightly attended days on a yearly basis, yet near-perfect weather and the headlining slot being given to the great Carlos Santana and his legendary band Santana brought what may have been the largest crowd of weekend two to the main stage. Given the crush, it was an unfortunately brief stop for the headliner, who worked through psychedelic rock standards “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va” in the early frame of the set, in addition to a nod to B.B. King with a cover of the minor key slow jam classic “The Thrill is Gone.”

Thursday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

• Walter “Wolfman” Washington was honored with a totem near the back of the Congo Stage field, an honorary given to Jazz Fest legends who’ve moved on from the earthly plane. Walter is beaming with a toothy smile in the mural, strumming his classic candy red guitar and dressed to the nines as was one of his main trademarks.

• Easing into things, the vermicelli and rosemint tea was one of the more refreshing and light bites of the weekend, a rarity amongst the heavy cajun, creole and heavily fried offerings dotting the fairgrounds.

Photos by Susan Weiand

---

Friday, May 5

Friday stood as a welcome change from (a still very enjoyable) Thursday. With cool breezes, cloud cover and abundantly more manageable crowd sizes, fans had the chance to explore more of the grounds than the day prior (or the rainy Saturday following). In a single day, I saw: tons of gospel, samba and mariachi (Mariachi Jalisco – extremely fitting for Cinco de Mayo), epic and exploratory jazz (Coltrane Legacy), traditional New Orleans party brass (Soul Rebels), twangin’ zydeco (Pine Leaf Boys), twangin’ Nashville bluegrass (Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway) and a mega hip-hop superstar playing a jukebox set of hits (Ludacris). Could be worse, as they say.

The Rocks of Harmony :: Gospel Tent : 11:45 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.

The sheer amount of longevity, experience and wisdom to soak in at Jazz Fest is one of the aspects that makes it most special. For many fans and performers alike, the event is truly a family affair. The son of the frontman from Rocks of Harmony stepped to the mic and howled “my dad been doin’ this a long time and he ain’t tired yet” (73 years as a performer), before slowing the tempo with “Amazing Grace” that left more than a few people misty-eyed.

Marc Stone :: Blues Tent : 11:15 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

Flanked by Keiko Komaki on keys and a dueling percussion section (drums and bongos), local bluesman Marc Stone thoroughly impressed during the Friday morning set, doing Levon Helm proud with an on-point cover of The Band’s “The Shape I’m In” and showboating his immense talent on slide guitar as he ripped through an array of rhythm and blues originals, boasting a powerful vocal prowess that rivals his abilities on guitar.

Coltrane Legacy featuring Tony Dagradi & Trevarri :: WWOZ Jazz Tent : 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

The past is always present at Fest, and music educator (and Astral Project member) Tony Dagradi and his crew paid homage to the great John Coltrane in grand fashion, meandering through a number of amorphous improvisations, 10-foot-tall jazz standards (a soaring “Resolution”), a spectacularly gorgeous and low-key rendering of “Naima” (replete with a seven-foot tall rainstick feature) and a track introduced as “Untitled 11386” from a once lost album, now found. I’m not sure cuts get deeper than that.

Ludacris :: Congo Square Stage : 5:55 – 7:00 p.m.

How much punch can an artist possibly pack into an hour set? Seemingly a career’s worth of chartbusters if you ask Chris Bridges — rapper Ludacris — who dominated the Congo Square Stage, plowing through a lifetime of heavy bangers and songs you know by heart, putting on one of the biggest parties of the weekend. Although ATL and NOLA have a historic rivalry on the football field, the mutual admiration between locals and the headlining artist was readily apparent, as the megastar tore through #1 hits like “Area Codes,” “Rollout,” “What’s Your Fantasy” and “Moneymaker” among others.

Although when going for cheap heat, he did get the area code wrong until he corrected it from “514” to “504” while the DJ spun some Cash Money Hot Boys flavors to toss the city a shout, come on man! As a commanding presence on stage, Ludacris had the crowd in the palm of his hand, exuding charisma and a vocal control and rhythmic flow few can match, nearly a quarter century into his career as a larger-than-life recording artist. Easily one of the most fun and raucous crowds of the weekend, it’s hard to beat a hip-hop show in the late afternoon show at the Congo Stage.

Friday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

• The Soul Rebels are known to pepper their setlists with covers, and, despite having seen them at least a dozen times, a take on Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” was a new surprise.

• Shrimp and crabmeat ravigote was another rare healthy-ish find. A refreshing snack in the midst of a sunny day to cool down.

• On the heels of a lengthy sit-in at the first weekend’s nighttime Billy & The Kids show, rising Nashville bluegrass star Molly Tuttle and her sturdy Golden Highway band played to one of the bigger crowds of the weekend on the central Sheraton Fais Do Do Stage. Decked out in a rainbow-sequined dress, Tuttle fittingly covered The Rolling Stones “She’s A Rainbow.”

• Tony Hall’s 15th Annual James Brown Tribute at Maple Leaf Bar went deep into the wee hours, running well past the allotted end time and spanning two sets of the Godfather of Soul’s legendary catalog.

• There may be no better bite of food than Prejean’s quail gumbo, a can’t-miss hearty dark roux making this an essential stew and one of the best food items year in and year out. If only you could get crawfish bread to dip in it (crawfish bread has been retired after decades as a Fest staple).

---

Saturday, May 6

Heavy rains and thunderstorms delayed the gate opening and stage times by a couple of hours and cut out some of the slated earlier performances. Always a give and take – the cloudy and rainy conditions made for an unseasonably cool (at times cold) and very sparse crowd for the first half of the day before a late afternoon sun broke through midway through Dead & Company’s headlining set on the main stage. Given the short day and big names to catch, Saturday was a fairly brief day compared to the other three extremely full days

Anders Osborne :: Festival Stage : 1:25 – 2:30 p.m.

Over the last dozen or so years, Anders Osborne has been a prolific and increasingly popular studio and live artist, having transitioned from a more acoustic-leaning roots songwriter to a borderline guitar god. The Swedish-bred NOLA local has had a revolving door of backing members with and touring styles (acoustic tours, duos with Jackie Greene – who joined the band for this set), so it was great to see a full-throttle rock show again. After opening in a heavy drizzle with the fitting “Louisiana Rain” to a crowd of soggy fans in shrimp boots, Osborne sounded as fierce and inspired as he has in years, looking sharp in a new jean jacket and barreling through supercharged versions of his originals like “On The Road to Charlie Parker.”

Dead & Company :: Festival Stage : 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Taking the stage for the longest scheduled performance of the entire fest at 4:30 p.m., the soon-to-retire supergroup Dead & Company gave a NOLA nod with “Truckin” in the opening slot, with its true tale about members of the Grateful Dead getting popped after a 1970 show at The Warehouse for drug possession. The first frame of the set was low-key and a lot of sound was washed away by persistent bursts of rain and wind gusts.

Once the clouds began to part and the sun peeked through, the tempo picked up in the latter frame, spreading a headier and happier vibe and washing over joyous and muddy Deadheads. Giving love to the Crescent City and adding more local flavor during the standards-heavy set, Dead and Co welcomed Bruce Sunpie Barnes and Big Chief Sunpie during the Rhythm Devils Drums and Beam segment of the show. It was by no means perfect or an essential show to revisit, but having Bob Weir part the clouds with “Uncle John’s Band” and wash over tens of thousands of nutty and mostly kynd Deadheads with his inimitable voice is always a special occasion, no matter the band’s iteration or occasion.

Saturday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

• Puerto Rico’s ÌFÉ was the happy accident of the weekend. During the downpour that was occurring upon Saturday’s arrival at the Fest, we huddled into the Cultural Exchange Pavilion, one of Jazz Fest’s best “new” features of the last decade or so (a different country’s artists, culture and cuisine is spotlighted each year — Haiti and Cuba have been the featured lands in recent years). It’s hard to pin down a genre for this group, but the set was pure ebullience with electro-rumba, Caribbean vibes, Afrofuturistic samba, fringey punk leanings all layered heavily with vocal effects – giving a modern and wholly unique spin on all these anciently-rooted traditional sounds.

  Much like Ram from Haiti and Cimafunk of Cuba in recent years, ÌFÉ seemed to leave a huge impression on all the fans I spoke with who were lucky enough to be introduced to them at the Fest or their Thursday Music Box Village performances over weekend two. I’m very much looking forward to the next opportunity to see this group.

• A visit to the Bywater for Rough 7’s now-annual one-off reunion show (they played the same night last year and haven’t performed since) at BJ’s Lounge has become a new favorite tradition. One of the rowdiest and most rockin’ bands and crowds you can find amongst the hundreds of performances that transpired over the past 11 nights here in the Big Easy. Power metal trio Suplecs took the reins following the great R7 set and kept the pedal fully floored, ravaging what was left of the crowd’s eardrums and necks and playing one of the best sets I saw all weekend long. It should be illegal to have this much fun.

• Newer Preservation Hall Jazz Band member, guitarist Joshua Starkman’s youthful energy, technical prowess and constant exuberant smile continues to provide a shot in the arm and proof that the New Orleans institution should continue to thrive for decades to come as they enter their seventh decade as a critical traditional New Orleans music torchbearer.

---

Sunday, May 7

It’s not unusual to have a tremendously classic and memorable Sunday at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. There’s something magical and downright sacred about the final Sunday here, and it’s never failed to add a charmed all timer day to the history books. Perhaps the pressure and anxieties of months of planning, coordination of late-night shows, rides to and from the Fest, plotting the Fairgrounds schedules, meet-ups, etc have begun to fade and the pressures off.

Sunday’s the day to take in as much and savor this great event to the last drop. Fried chicken and jambalaya always gives life to tired bones, a heavy stint in the gospel tent is a necessity to purify the soul, and seeing legendary artists for the first time (like Tom Jones and Melissa Etheridge — or dozenth like The Radiators) is par for the course. For some reason the happy tears and elation always seem to peak for the weekend as the hours wind down on the Fest. 2023’s Sunday was as banner of a day as any prior, albeit same as it ever was. The best weather of the entire weekend sure didn’t hurt either…

Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph :: Festival Stage : 1:55 – 3:10 p.m.

The band that truly introduced me to New Orleans music and culture as a teenager, NOLA funk powerhouse and new Tipitina’s owners Galactic traded off newer fare from the second half of their storied career (like “Heart of Steel” and “You Don’t Know” with Glen David Andrews on guest vocals) with older instrumentals and through the kind of groovy and soulful funk party that only these guys (plus touring vocalist Angelika “Jelly” Joseph) can provide.

The Deslondes :: Lagniappe Stage : 2:50 – 3:45 p.m.

After Galactic’s burning Main Stage set, The Deslondes cooldown in the friendly and picturesque confines of the Lagniappe Stage was just the tonic and a chance to get off the feet and take in the vibes with a right-fine New Orleans blues-country staple. Comparisons to John Prine were hard to avoid, as the group spun tunes like “South Dakota Wild One” and heavily impressed everyone I spoke to in attendance, undoubtedly making some new fans along the way.

The Radiators :: Gentilly Stage : 3:45 – 5:15 p.m. > Tom Jones :: Gentilly Stage : 5:45 – 7:00 p.m. > Melissa Etheridge :: Blues Tent : 5:40 – 7:00 p.m. > Craig Adams & Higher Dimensions of Praise :: Gospel Tent : 6:05 – 6:50 p.m.

As is often the case, too much of a good thing and scheduling conflicts are unavoidable at a festival of this scale. Keeping an airtight schedule to see what you gotta see can be tough and some small sacrifices are generally in order. After The Rads (the “Cajun Grateful Dead” as some have referred) played a vintage swampadelic show to the Louisiana sunshine and a swelling Gentilly crowd that pushed all the way to the track in the back of the field, it was time for the great Tom Jones to take the stage.

Having heard raves about his past performances at Jazz Fest for ages, it was time to finally see what all the buzz is about regarding this octogenarian (he’s 83) legend’s still vibrant live prowess. Surprisingly, he opened with a stark and barebones new tune (with only a mic and keyboard accompaniment) that sounded more like Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits about “I’m Growing Old,” which hit different on the eve of another birthday for yours truly.

I’m growing drowsy in my chair
And I no longer ponder life
And though I save a lock of hair
I seldom dream about my wife
I’m growing fonder of the fire
I’m growing mindful of the cold
I’m growing wise
I’m growing, yes
I’m growing old
I’m growing wise
I’m growing, yes
I’m growing old

– Tom Jones “I’m Growing Old”

Jones, ever the charmer still looking and sounding fantastic, quickly moved onto the hits, playing 1965’s “It’s Not Unusual” with a less bombastic and horns-heavy sound than the studio original, a cool arrangement that had just about every single person belting along at the top of their lungs.

“Unusual” was followed by another No. 1 single “What’s New Pussycat,” giving the people what they want and a quick satiation to move on to the next.

After darting over to the Blues Tent, Melissa Etheridge’s fierce rock band was churning hard blues-infused rock like a freight train, sounding like peak Zeppelin or a Widespread Panic improvisation upon arrival. As you’d have it, at my first Etheridge show, she dropped her iconic ’90s single “Come To My Window” shortly after arrival and again, conjured up one of the biggest singalongs of the weekend.

Finally, after last year’s Gospel Tent highlight to close the fest, we chose to finish off with Craig Adams and Higher Dimensions of Praise, a group I’d never had the pleasure of seeing until last year. Last year’s show was the main highlight of the fest, and his group worked through covers of the always warm, fuzzy and sentimental “With A Little Help From My Friends” (Bruce Cocker) and Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” that once again brought the house down and presented a peak experience towards the bitter end.

Sunday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

• Fried chicken and jambalaya on Sunday. If it ain’t broke, do not fix.

• Maze and Frankie Beverly had quite possibly the largest crowd in their long history of closing out the Congo Square Stage.

• Sunday night at downtown’s fabulous Joy Theater with The Word (after a full-blown gospel choir set by Tonia Scott and Anointed Voices) was as tremendous as always. The once rare bird (they rarely played shows in the 2000s/early-2010s) supergroup of Robert Randolph, John Medeski, Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson has been more prevalent in recent years and a Jazz Fest late-night staple, and the world is a better place because this sacred steel band is alive and thriving in 2023.