there are more festivals than ever in the panorama of American music these days, but one of the oldest remains possibly the best. The 45th annual Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans had everything, so for another spectacular good time at the famous Crescent City.
"Welcome to the Church of New Orleans," wrote OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey on Jazz Fest Bible 2014 issue of the magazine. “The fact is that the jazz festival is not just a music festival, it is a cultural beacon shining its light throughout the world to bring people to experience our city a unique and wonderful way."
Ramsey’s gospel is sincere. There is no other American metropolis where music plays a role as all-encompassing in the cultural fabric of the city than in New Orleans. Only in New Orleans, NOLA alias, the music is almost like religion. This makes the Jazz Festival a shining beacon in fact, for those who believe that music is their main source of spiritual sustenance.
"Jazz Fest is the Super Bowl of festivals," said local musician Glen David Andrews on iconic radio station WWOZ NOLA during the festival this year and was not just being a homer. No other festival has the largest number of steps, as many amazing, or until the afternoon and late shows they can take the music fans all the way until dawn culinary offerings.
The festival has grown over the decades, adding a big rock and pop headliners to ensure a strong attraction. There is always a deep roster of regional talent and the festival becomes a musical gumbo where you can taste a bit of everything in one place. Jazz Fest is a true mecca for musical geniuses.
Santana, Phish and Eric Clapton were headlining the first weekend and each attracted large crowds to the main stage. There was terrible conflict, but with all the other great acts playing at once. 's best jazz players as Branford Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis in the Jazz were scheduled opposite Phish Tent and Eric Clapton in the main, respectively scenario, which makes things difficult for those who dig both rock and jazz. But Jazz Fest seems to feel that too much of a good thing is never enough, an appropriate policy for a city with no open container laws or venue curfews.
The only sign of trouble in paradise came when Greenpeace flew a banner over the fairgrounds, taking the main festival sponsor Shell to task for its plans to drill for oil in the Arctic. "Love Jazz Fest, oil spills # SavetheArctic hatred," read the banner. “Big Oil cannot buy respectability by dropping a small percentage of their billions in the arts. Greenpeace presented at JazzFest to communicate directly with festival goers and Shell enjoying good music not necessarily destroy the sponsoring schemes environment, “he wrote in his blog Arctic Greenpeace activist, Gustavo Ampugnani . "It's time Shell faces the music: there is no way of greening up oil drilling in the Arctic. "
Jazz Fest organizers probably prefer to sponsor a more respectful of the environment, however, is clearly hard to resist the deep corporate pockets to allow them the extravagant festival it deserves.”The alliance with Shell began in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. Shell as a sponsor up to ensure the survival of the cultural celebration of the city firm ," said a press release Jazz Fest May 2 announcement that Shell had renewed their sponsorship for at least five years .
"An important support Shell Jazz Fest is vital to keep the event in the forefront of music festivals in the United States. In the dynamic business of live entertainment, having committed corporate partners like Shell helps drive and creative breakthroughs production , leading directly to the unique life experiences - the fans expect and deserve , "said Jay Marciano, COO and President of AEG AEG Live, co-producers of Jazz Fest, in the press release .
"Without this partnership with Shell, the Festival would not be able to provide the resources that makes the foundation - we use for programs throughout the year in education, economic development and cultural enrichment," said Anthony J. Ruda, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation nonprofit New Orleans Jazz & Heritage.
The inherent ethical issue poses one of the great dilemmas of modern art era. Most attendees however were understandably preoccupied with little besides capturing all possible music. Here follows a reporter attempted to do exactly that.
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