We began traveling to New Orleans in 1998, not realizing it would become an annual event and tradition. The seed was actually planted in 1997. We had been out to Johnny D's, having dinner with friends, waiting for the music to start. There were 5 of us, chatting away in a booth, when one of the group started to talk about this event called JazzFest. He had attended that year, and painted a pretty vivid picture, both of JazzFest and of New Orleans. It definitely struck a chord in me, and I could not stop thinking about it. The web was still young, but there was enough information available to convince me that I needed to go. After some tough negotiations, as married couples will sometimes engage, we booked our first trip to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
JazzFest dates back to 1970. George Wein, who created both the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals, was tasked with establishing a distinctive New Orleans festival, featuring all the musical styles unique to the region: jazz (traditional & contemporary), blues, gospel, cajun, zydeco, rock, folk, R & B, Mardi Gras Indian, etc. Within a few years, JazzFest began including national acts, although regional music is still the primary focus. Today, Fest has grown into an eight-day festival over two weekends.
Fast forward to 2024, and we are currently preparing for this year's Fest. Part of the preparation is anticipating the release of the musical lineup. Typically, the master lineup is released in January, but does not include which day a musician/band will be performing. That list comes out in February, yet still does not include the performance time for each specific day. Finally in March, the Cubes are released, which list the time slot and stage location for each act. This is where the fun starts. Since Fest takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, a large space that incorporates (12) stages, the challenge often becomes how to be in (2) places at the same time.
Fortunately, it all seems to work out. Over all these years, we have experienced an amazing amount of great music, and explored a truly unique American city. And, in more good fortune, we met the members of what has been coined "The New Orleans Social Club, Place d'Armes Chapter".
The Place d'Armes is a small hotel on St Anne Street, in the middle of the French Quarter, and in the shadows of St Louis Cathedral. The hotel has a beautiful courtyard, and this is where we initially met the folks who share a love of New Orleans, of music, and of food, especially oysters. The oysters are a story for another time.
JazzFest was canceled for (2) years during Covid, and the Social Club went virtual. With Fest back, we still continue to Zoom during the year, an ongoing conversation about New Orleans, music, family, politics, as well as dis, dat & d'udda.
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