Jazzfest Rises

Sure, there were some who said it couldn’t – or even shouldn’t – be done. But the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival returned to its traditional Fair Grounds site with a first-ever name sponsor, blockbuster lineup and deeply emotional performances. And not even an April 30th downpour could stop the music.

While no official attendance figures were available, festival director Quint Davis was quoted as saying advance ticket sales were about two-thirds of past years. The 2005 Jazzfest was estimated to have drawn about 400,000.

But for a city that has lost virtually all of its main industry – tourism – Jazzfest should provide an economic shot in the arm to New Orleans. And it was certainly a boon for music fans.

Main stage performers the first weekend included Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, and Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band.

Among the homegrown artists – many returning to New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck August 29th – were Dr. John, Galactic, the subdudes, C.J. Chenier/The Red Hot Louisiana Band, the Rebirth Brass Band, the reunited Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and recent arrival Ani DiFranco.

New Orleanian Allen Toussaint brought along Elvis Costello and a Steinway grand piano for an April 30th performance. Dozens of Mardi Gras Indians were on hand, along with gospel choirs, children’s performers, zydeco, Cajun, gospel and, of course, jazz bands.

More than 150 sets were scheduled the first weekend at the fairgrounds alone. Additional shows took place around the city, including at Tipitina’s and Preservation Hall, which reopened for the first time since Katrina.

And there were unscheduled appearances, too. U2 guitarist The Edge, who spearheaded the Music Rising artist assistance program, dropped in on a couple of friends Sunday – first taking the stage with the Rebirth Brass Band and later with DMB.

Other than having been shortened by one day, it might have seemed like business as usual for Jazzfest, one of the most prominent festivals in the country. But considering the fairgrounds site was under several feet of toxic soup last September, and many of New Orleans’ thousands of musicians displaced by Katrina, it is a major feat that it was pulled off at all. Anschutz Entertainment Group returned to produce the festival along with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, and together they made the decision in January that the show would go on – and go on bigger than ever.

Davis pulled together a star-studded group of artists, many of whom had given their time last fall for several benefit concerts including “From the Big Apple to the Big Easy” at Madison Square Garden in New York City. They also took on a first-ever name sponsor in Shell Oil Co., and dozens of other corporate sponsors supported Jazzfest.

When Shell signed on, Jazzfest organizer Louis Edward told Pollstar that without such sponsorship, the event could not have been staged on the scale festivalgoers are accustomed to.

“[Louisiana has] a grand culture that deserves a grand event like Jazzfest,” Edwards said. “And to do that – especially in a post-Katrina New Orleans – it takes all the resources we can pull together.”

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell was scheduled across its traditional two weekends, with artists including Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon, Keith Urban, Irma Thomas, Little Feat, Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine, Ellis Marsalis, Angelique Kidjo, and Lionel Richie scheduled the second weekend.

Set to close Jazzfest on May 7th was Fats Domino in his first performance since Katrina, when he was rescued from the roof of his Ninth Ward home-turned-museum.

– Deborah Speer