Jazz Fest 2011 Mark your calendars for the 2011 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The first weekend will run from April 29th - May 1st. The second weekend takes place from May 5th - May 8th. Make your travel plans now!
Jazz Fest Express Advance tickets are now on sale for the Jazz Fest Express shuttle service, which provides roundtrip air-conditioned transportation to & from the Fair Grounds. Departure points are Steamboat Natchez Dock (French Quarter) and the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street. Shuttle service starts at 10:30am and runs until all patrons have been transported from the Fair Grounds.
No Aretha Aretha Franklin has cancelled her Jazz Fest appearance (April 30th, Acura Stage). Earth, Wind & Fire will fill her 5:35pm -7:30pm slot.
Jazz Fest Cubes! The daily schedule grids with artists, stages and times is now online at the official Jazz Fest web site. Here's a printable PDF file of the schedules. Also check out the new Jazz Fest map for 2010.
2010 Jazz Fest Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster Single Day Tickets for Weekend 1 and Weekend 2 are $45 in advance ($60 at the gate).
Big Chief VIP Experience ($850 1st Weekend / $900 2nd Weekend) gets you in and out re-entry privileges; access to raised and covered viewing stands at the Acura and Gentilly stages; special viewing areas at Congo Square Stage, the Jazz Tent and the Blues Tent; and access to a private hospitality lounge. Reserved parking is available at an additional charge.
Grand Marshal VIP Pass (550 1st Weekend / $600 2nd Weekend) gets you in & out re-entry privileges and access to exclusive upfront viewing areas at the three main Jazz Fest stages (Acura, Gentilly, and Congo Square). Reserved parking is available at an additional charge.
Krewe of Jazz Fest VIP Pass (sold out) in & out re-entry privileges, access to an exclusive viewing stand at the Acura Stage, with covered high-end folding seats, private restroom facilities, and a dedicated concession area. Reserved parking is available at an additional charge.
Schedule Change
King Sunny Ade & His African Beats have cancelled their Fest appearance due to the death of two band members in a car accident.
LA Music Factory Performances
Louisiana Music Factory has a great line-up of free in-store performances taking place on April 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 & May 3. See the schedule here.
Save the Clinic The New Orleans Musicians Clinic, which has been one of the backbones of rebuilding the city, is losing 90% of its funding. The Clinic has been the medical lifeline for more than 2,000 New Orleans musicians and their family members. If you love the music, visit SaveTheClinic.org and learn simple things you can do to help.
In Sync Sync Up: The Jazz & Heritage Talent Exchange conference is set for April 23-24 & April 30-May 1, 2010 at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Keynote speaker will be David Simon, co-creator of the new HBO series "Treme." See the Sync Up web site for more details
R.I.P. Rockie Charles R&B singer/guitarist Rockie Charles - aka "The President of Soul" - passed away on March 12, 2010 at age 67. He was scheduled to perform at Jazz Fest on April 24th. See Rockie's bio at the Ponderosa Stomp web site.
New HBO series 'Treme' New Orleans music fans should check out the upcoming HBO drama series Treme, premiering on April 11, 2010. The series follows musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians, and ordinary New Orleanians in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane and levee failures that almost wiped the city out. Check the Satchmo.com TV page for more info.
Superfly @ Jazz Fest
Concert promoters Superfly Presents have announced the lineup for their 2010 Superfly during Jazzfest concert series. Shows include a Gov't Mule concert at Mahalia Jackson Theater, and four riverboat cruise concerts featuring Galactic, Les Claypool, North Mississippi Allstars, and the Greyboy Allstars. See Jazz Fest After Dark for more info.
2010 Jazz Fest Poster The official Jazz and Heritage Festival Poster for 2010 features late, great musician, entertainer and Big Easy native Louis Prima. The silk-screened poster was reproduced from a painting by legendary crooner Tony Bennett, and it commemorates the centennial of Prima's birth. Visit the official Louis Prima web site.
More Simon & Garfunkel Good news for Simon & Garfunkel fans if you can't make their show at Jazz Fest on April 24th; the famed duo are hooking up for gigs in Saint Paul MN, Fargo ND, Madison WI, Detroit MI, plus several dates in Canada.
Quintron & Miss Pussycat Exhibit The eclectic duo are featured in the New Orleans Museum of Art's exhibit "Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park" through May 2, 2010. This multimedia presentation features work from previous years, and highlights new projects including the debut of a new video by Miss Pussycat, and a new music album by Quintron, which will be recorded entirely on-site at the museum. Get more info on the exhibit here. See Quintron and his "Drum Buddy" in action in this YouTube clip featuring the late, great Ernie K-Doe.
WWOZ Brass Pass
WWOZ Brass Passes are a great way to enjoy Jazz Fest and help support local community radio station WWOZ. For a membership donation of $425 to WWOZ, you'll get a 2010 Brass Pass, which gets you into all 7 days of Jazz Fest and much more. Get the lowdown here.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band & My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band are teaming up for several tour dates this spring. My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James and Terence Blanchard are scheduled to sit in with the PHJB during their Jazz Fest set on April 25th. The PHJB is also expecting to sit in with MMJ during their Jazz Fest set on April 24th. More info here.
2010 Foundation Gala The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival & Foundation will hold their 2010 Gala fundraiser on April 22 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. This year's event will feature a lifetime tribute to Dr. John. Music will be provided by Dr. John, Jon Cleary, the Foundation's Heritage School of Music, and many special guests. For info and tickets, call (504) 410-4148.
Jazz Fest Performers The preliminary list of 2010 Fest performers has been announced. The line-up includes Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Pearl Jam, Allman Brothers Band, Levon Helm, My Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic, Van Morrison, The Black Crowes, B.B. King, Gov't Mule, Jeff Beck, The Dead Weather, Elvis Costello, and many more.
Ponderosa Stomp Moves to Fall The Ponderosa Stomp music series, which has been held in between Jazz Fest weekends for the last 8 years, will take place on September 24th & 25th. Read more here.
Zoo Dat! Bringing the kids to Jazz Fest? Check out the "Zoo-To-Do for Kids" annual fundraiser taking place April 30th at Audubon Zoo in uptown New Orleans. The kids will have a blast while you support a worthy cause.
I bet the little ones would also like to see Disney On Ice - Let's Celebrate! which is in town (at Lakefront Arena) from April 29th - May 2nd.
beat keeper and ever-dapper man about town "Uncle" Lionel Batiste. The silk-screen print is by local artist Terrance Osborne, who also created the