NOJHF 2012 Geronimo Hunters and Creole Osceolas Mardi Gras Indians

More Mardi Gras Indian photos from first Friday at this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. These pics are of a parade featuring the Geronimo Hunters and Creole Osceolas Mardi Gras Indians.

NOJHF 2012 Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indians

Photos taken at Jazzfest 2012 on first Friday at Jazz and Heritage stage. The Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Enjoy.

NOJHF 2012: More Mardi Gras Indians

Thought I would share more of my photos taken of Mardi Gras Indians at the Jazz and Heritage Stage during Jazzfest 2012. These are from  the Friday of the first weekend. These were actually my first photos of the festival; Each day I rode my bike from my sister's house in Mid-City, parked and locked my bike near Liuzza's By the Track and walked into Fest via the Sauvage Street entrance which brings you onto the Fairgrounds right near the Gospel tent and immediately behind the Jazz and Heritage Stage. Anyway, on Day 1, I headed right for this stage and caught the first "Indian show"-the Semolian Warriors- of the day and then right after, a parade featuring the Black Mohawk and Black Foot Hunters Mardi Gras Indians. The parades start "backstage" from the Jazz and Heritage stage area and continue out onto the Fairgrounds, so if you are at the Jazz and Heritage stage you get the bonus - or lagniappe- of also being around to catch the Mardi Gras Indian parades or the various second line parades that step off from the same place during the day.

NOJHF 2012: Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians

As I have said before, one of my favorite stages at JazzFest is the Jazz and Heritage Stage and one of my favorite things to see at this stage are the Mardi Gras Indians. On the Saturday of the first weekend of this year's Fest, I had the privelege to see one of my favorite Mardi Gras Indian tribes- Big Chief Walter Cook and Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians. Their suits were fantastic and oh so pretty and they put on a great show. Jazz Fest "man in charge" Quint Davis announced the group and danced briefly with them on stage- see if you can spot him in a couple of the pictures in the slideshow below. For me, this show was one of the highlights of this years fest. Hope you enjoy!

Jazzfest Pic of the Day: Indians and Brass Bands

One of my favorite stages at Jazzfest is the Jazz and Heritage Stage..also known as the "Indian Stage","Brass Band Stage" or the "Second Line Stage". As you can tell from the various names this is where each day during Fest you are sure to see Indians  and Brass Bands; it is also the jumping off point for both the Mardi Gras Indian and SecondLine parades that happen throughout the day on the festival grounds. If you want to experience New Orleans music and  culture firsthand this is the place to be. While it does not quite capture the excitement of a brass band in a club, or on the street as part of a second line; and the Indians are not in the "wild" of the streets, it's the next best thing for folks who may not have the opportunity to be in town to chase a secondline on one of the 42 (!) Sundays of the official New Orleans second line season or to see the Indians out in the street on Super Sunday or St. Josephs nite. The picture is not my usual vantage point- I took this either leaving or approaching the stage. I like getting right up close in order to really feel and appreciate the power of the brass bands, the beauty of the Indian suits and to feel the energy, joy and excitement eminating from the stage from the performers and supporting cast of characters that invariably show up to sing, dance and "act the fool" along with the band or tribe up onstage. Yeah you right...

Jazzfest 2012 Pic of the Day: Springsteen

Ok..so let's get this out of the way. Yes I did see Bruce at Jazzfest- kind of. I was not planning on it- in fact was kind of getting sick of hearing about how big of a deal his being at Fest was going to be. Don't get me wrong- I am a Bruce fan or maybe more accurately was a Bruce fan some 20+ years ago. Since then, I've always paid attention to what he was up to musically but was no longer a hard core fan. I did see him at Jazzfest in 2006 right after Katrina- now THAT was a special show (I read somewhere recently that even the Boss himself considers that show in the Top 5 that he has ever done-now thats saying something).Anyway, I tend to stay away from the big stages at Fest as a rule- typically these are national headliners that I could see back home in Philly or NYC if I wanted to. I look at Jazzfest as an  opportunity to see acts and bands that dont tour or dont tour often- especially the local NO and Louisiana acts and musicians. That being said, on Sunday of weekend 1  I had other things on my schedule at the time that Bruce was going to be at the largest stage at the fairgrounds. As it turns out, I ended up coming out of a show that happened to put me on the far back edge of the Bruce crowd (see picture) - could barely see but sound was great even at what must have been 1/4 mile back from the stage- but I figured I might as well stop and give a listen since I was already there. Turns out, I arrived at a perfect time with Bruce just introducing one of my favorites-Dr. John- to the stage. Talk about an omen. So I was hooked- after Dr. John, the band went right into Mary Dont You Weep from the album and show he did right after Katrina. That one gave me goosebumps. Next up was Prove it all Night- another classic. This led into a lesser known (to me anyway) Johnny 99 and then Waiting for a Sunny Day-which had a hilarious moment when the Boss pulled up some kid from the crowd who basically croaked vs sang along with the band..it was a very funny moment. Even in that huge crowd Bruce was in command-he really can still put on a great show..I had to stay for another when the band launched into Promised Land..cue goosebumps one more time...after this one, the band went into a slower number that I did not recognize- here was my chance. If I didnt leave now, I would be stuck for the rest of the afternoon. I made the decision and headed away - it was time to return to my regularily scheduled program so to speak..But, I gotta say it, he sure still is the Boss....

Jazzfest Pic of the Day

This is a scene from inside the WWOZ Jazz Tent during the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Ellis Marsalis was playing and the place was packed. Since I got there after the set had already started (I like to move stage to stage, tent to tent) I was standing in the back. Sound was good and in the couple years since I last attended Fest they have added a video screen in this tent allowing you to see the performers on stage from the back of the tent as well. Even with crowds like these in the tents, it is usually possible to get a seat if you wait a few minutes b/c lots of folks also move from venue to venue as a rule. You can also very easily move down to the front of the stage to take pictures if that is your thing (and it definitely is my thing). Mr. Marsalis put on his usual excellent show and remains one of the most respected elder statesmen of the NO music community.

Jazz Fest: Quick Primer from where?

For folks who have not been to NO during Jazzfest this article from USA Today (wtf?) does a surprisingly good job of giving a quick & concise overview of the Fest and related goings on in the city during fest time. (Note: you hear a lot of local folks wishing each other a "Happy Jazzfest" ...because in NO just like Mardi Gras, Jazzfest is also considered to be a holiday)...only in NO, only in NO.

Jazz Fest & NO Photo a Day

So here's what I'm gonna do.. instead of posting lots of pictures of my recent trip down to NO for Jazzfest 2012 I'm gonna do a photo of the day kind of thing. I will post 1 photo from recent trip, offer a brief description or comment and then do same thing next day. At some point will try and organize photos into an edited slideshow/ gallery and provide a link but in meantime gonna try this route..Here is first picture- me at JazzFest posing with props provided at the free photo booth tent sponsored by Shell at the Fairgrounds...see ya tomorrow.

Fest!

So, snuck down to New Orleans last week for 1st weekend of JazzFest- lots of pics and posts to follow when I can get it together. In meantime 2nd weekend starts Today Thursday May 3. You can listen live to WWOZ broadcast HERE. Also starting tomorrow you can watch live and pre-recorded performances at the NO Jazzfest YouTube channel- so if you can't be there, be HERE. Yeah you right!