by Tom Baldino
Everyone worldwide is familiar with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but not everyone is aware that just prior to Jazz Fest, a smaller gathering called French Quarter Fest, which has been held since 1984, takes over the French Quarter for four days and has grown in size and popularity to rival its bigger counterpart.
The big difference is that the latter takes place on 20 stages, at street corners, and in bars—all within the French Quarter. Our good friends and JSJBF members, Bob and Sandy Cahn, along with New Orleans–based bandleader and resident Jon Christian Duque of Soul Project, have been asking us to come down for years. Well, this year we made the trip, and what an experience it was!
Between the fabulous food (Joanne found a new favorite dish: grilled oysters) and the equally vibrant music and street life of the French Quarter, the trip was unforgettable. Sharing it with friends—including fellow JSJBF member Jim Crisci, who was on our flight down, and Dave and Cindy Ciullo, who make New Orleans their home for half the year—made it even more enjoyable.
Things kicked off on an unseasonably warm Thursday morning with a parade on Bourbon Street, giving us a taste of Mardi Gras before we hit the many stages. New this year was the Governor Nicholls Wharf, which housed two new main stages: the Jack Daniel’s Stage—where we saw 92-year-old Bobby Rush strut his stuff like a man half his age—and the Pan American Stage.
After Bobby’s show, we walked over to Frenchmen Street to meet Christian Duque, whose band, The Soul Project, will be playing at the Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival in August. He gave us a grand tour of one of the hippest streets in the Quarter, where some of the hottest young talents are paying their dues as they work to break onto the national scene.
Jack Daniel’s Stage
On a hot Friday, it was rinse and repeat, with more great food—including the ever-present beignets and Café Maspero’s fabulous muffuletta. Musical highlights included Bonerama, followed by John Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen at the Abita Stage. Then it was on to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band back at the Jack Daniel’s Stage, with a ride on the red trolley in between.
Saturday was the hottest day of the festival, but since Christian offered to give the four of us a private tour of his hometown, we couldn’t refuse. A ride up Magazine St. brought us into the most beautiful part of the city, the Garden District. Riding up St. Charles Ave. took us by the adjacent campuses of Tulane and Loyola Universities. Right up the road is Audubon Park, designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead, the creator of Central Park in NYC. Christian pointed out trees, still dripping with Mardi Gras beads, as this is the route of one of the big parades.
We stopped in the park to take pictures under the “Tree of Life,” a massive ancient Oak tree that has survived all that man and Mother Nature have thrown at it. On the way back, we passed the home that was the setting for the Anne Rice novel “The Witching Hour,” as well as many other beautiful homes, and we also saw the legendary New Orleans music venue, Tipitina’s.
Our last point of interest was the lot that will become the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience, a project Christian is fundraising for under the guidance of one of the JSJBF’s original board members, Bob Santilli. Bob is also the executive director of the soon-to-open Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music.
We were then dropped off near the Abita Stage in time to catch Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. With band members in full costume, they are rooted in the Mardi Gras Indian cultural tradition. We didn’t get to see Eric Johnson or transplanted New Jersey native Johnny Sansone, as the House of Blues Voodoo Garden Stage—located in a courtyard—was completely packed. We did, however, catch some great street acts on the way to Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant, one of the French Quarter’s most authentic eateries.
A cold front came through overnight, and by Sunday morning the temperature had dropped about 25 degrees, with rain—but we were prepared. We didn’t want to miss the WWII Museum, and this was the perfect time. We Ubered to the other side of town and were ready to enter when the doors opened.
This massive complex, made up of seven buildings, is said to be the best museum of its kind in the world. After spending half a day there and seeing only a fraction of the exhibits, I would have to agree. For anyone planning a visit, don’t miss Beyond All Boundaries, the 4D film narrated by Tom Hanks. I wish we had more time, but the rain had stopped, and the music was calling.
Since we hadn’t eaten, we decided to try the jazz brunch at the Royal Sonesta in the heart of the French Quarter. We were treated to the sounds of the Jenna McSwain Band and stayed for a set by jazz powerhouse vocalist Jeanne Marie Harris. But we had bigger fish to fry.
The legendary Irma Thomas was set to perform at the Jack Daniel’s Stage, but first we caught some of Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. and his band at the Willow Dispensary Stage before heading over for the last half of Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. and the Rumble, who represent the next generation of this music. When that set ended, we moved closer to the stage—and there were Cindy and Dave’s chairs in the front row! We settled in, and soon Cindy returned, saying Dave had decided to stay at another stage, so I ended up with a front-row seat—and I was glad I did.
At 85, Irma still has the powerful delivery that earned her the title “Soul Queen of New Orleans.” Backed by a band of exceptional musicians attuned to her every move, she embodied the very best of the Crescent City. She covered highlights from her 60-year career, even asking the audience what they wanted to hear—including my favorite, “Time Is on My Side.” Her show was truly the cherry on top of the beignet for my weekend. You could feel the love in the air from both the performers and the crowd. After another wonderful dinner at Mona Lisa, it was back to the rooms to get ready for the next day’s flight home.
For this music lover, it was— to use a Swedish word—a smorgasbord of sights, sounds, and flavors that should be on everyone’s bucket list.