Betcha By Golly, Wow! Reflections On The Magic Of NOLA Jazz Fest 2023 [Review/Photos/Videos/Audio]

It happens every spring. Known colloquially just as “Jazz Fest,” the unicorn extravaganza surrounding the venerable New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the grand daddy of ‘em all, continues to thrive after over a half-century and counting. From huge stages to tiny dive bars, plus a plethora of points between, with nearly two weeks of round-the-clock musical exploits, the Jazz Fest experience remains a tradition like none other.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and maximizing your Jazz Fest requires a certain balance of discipline, focus, nutrition, libation, and righteous intention. The hot days stretch into long nights and flow into early mornings; Jazz Fest is not for the easily fatigued, nor the faint of heart.

In 2000, it would be the first-ever Oysterhead show, then part of the nascent Superfly Superjam series, that lured a curious, collegiate kid from Burlington, VT down to the Crescent City for a long, lost weekend of funky music and voodoo magic. The trip made quite the impression on a 22-year-old seeker, and in 2023, your humble narrator returned for his 19th sojourn.

Each year, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival takes place on the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May, hosted at the Fairgrounds racetrack with a baker’s dozen stages of all sizes and styles–jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean, folk, and much more. Kicking off at 11:00 a.m. and wrapping at 7:00 p.m., the fest is somewhat unusual in that it concludes before the sun sets and does not extend into the nighttime.

Jazz Festers then proceed to spill out into the surrounding neighborhood streets, dance to brass bands, and bounce around porch parties before then packing the famed theaters and legendary nightclubs that fill this mystical music town til the wee-est of hours. The days and nights situated between the Jazz Fest weekends, christened “the daze between” some years back, have evolved into a cottage industry all its own, with mini-festivals and special events booked to neatly tie the two weeks together.

Major stars that headline arenas, stadiums, and other enormous festivals regularly appear at Jazz Fest, performing in more intimate settings either at the Fairgrounds racetrack by day or in the clubs and theaters at night. Many of the finest players in the jazz, funk, soul, blues, and jam band scenes descend on New Orleans from all over the world to share their talents in uniquely gluttonous settings. Despite the prominent national and international artists that dot the daily schedules, a majority of musicians are local to Louisiana.

Some of the performances are once in a lifetime, others become a beloved tradition, returning to the same stages and rooms year after year. Jazz Fest has no peer, providing an unparalleled annual celebration of New Orleans culture, American roots music, Black American Music, international rhythms, cuisine, community, and so much more. All day, every day, and deep into the night. Rinse, rage, repeat, for two straight weeks. Jazz Fest is nothing if not a way of life.

Jazz Fest can only take place in one city, and her majesty, madness, mystique, and mayhem makes New Orleans the host with the most, truly a one-of-a-kind locale. The city opens up her heart, bosom, flavor, and energy to hundreds of musicians—cagey veterans and fiery upstarts alike—and welcomes thousands of downright possessed superfans to joyfully run rampant through this storied cultural Mecca.

Every year, I am honored to have an opportunity to share a detailed reflection of times spent frolicking in this great city during Fest. The annual Jazz Fest wrap-up has itself become a treasured tradition. In 2023, yours truly instituted a “no notes” policy, choosing to keep the phone away as much as possible, to live in the moment and surrender to the flow.

What follows are short reviews of a dozen or so of my favorite performances from Jazz Fest 2023, plus a list of honorable mentions that I’d like to commemorate as well. Supplementing the stories are various videos and photographs of many magical moments described. For the first time, I included a handful of sensational shows that I did not attend—performances that I sure wish I saw, but due to the way the events were Tetris’d on the grids, I was sadly forced to miss. Such is life, down at the Jazz Fest.

George Porter Jr., Johnny Vidacovich, & Eric Krasno With Special Guests Rashawn Ross, Jeff Coffin, Maurice “Mobetta” Brown – Thurs. 4/27 Maple Leaf

[Video: Maple Leaf Bar]

Before we go any further, I’d like to tip my Kangol to the iconic local cats who are most responsible for setting the bar, the tone, the vibe, and the ethos of this thing they call Jazz Fest. Specifically, I’d like to recognize George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Johnny Vidacovich, and Stanton Moore. I’ve had the good fortune to come down to the Jazz Fest for a damn long time, and year in year out, these dudes are doing two and three shows per day across the whole enchilada. It’s beyond ambitious and nothing short of astonishing. Again this year I had the privilege of enjoying these living legends creating and collaborating with each other all over town, from the track to Tip’s to Toulouse and many other spots between, and I am perpetually in awe of the intestinal fortitude and limitless creativity that emanates from the true kings of Jazz Fest. Salute!

A Smattering Of Favorite Sets From Jazz Fest 2023:

A Tribute to The GAP Band: The Nth Power & Friends (Ft. Members Of Dumpstaphunk & More) – Fri. 4/28 (late night) Toulouse Theater

When it comes to tribute sets, The Nth Power oscillates in a galaxy all their own. Earth, Wind & Power; Rebel Music: Bob Marley & the Wailers; Marvin Gaye; Nirvana… The squadrons that have assembled, the legacies they celebrate, and the surgical, spiritual, shape-shifting performances, all of it truly the stuff of legend. Nikki Glaspie, Nate Edgar, and Nicholas Cassarino had initially plotted a GAP Band tribute in NOLA back in May 2020, but the pandemic pause iced those plans. Even though Jazz Fest came back in ‘22, it was not exactly full throttle, nor smooth sailing. These good folks had the wherewithal to hold this GAP Band banger back another year, just in case.

Excellent decision for all parties. And make no mistake, this was a serious party train. All aboard!

[Video: FunkItBlog]

 

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I rarely get my expectations too hyped up for a single show, but after a thousand days and nights of dreaming of this dance floor, I simply couldn’t help myself. (Ms. Glaspie is personally responsible for my own midlife GAP Band obsession, the spark dating back to a Nikki & the Homies gig, late night second Sunday at the Leaf a few years ago). It being first weekend, after midnight and deep in the Quarter, ‘twas the perfect alchemy, hour, energy and chemistry for an all-time Nth Power throwdown of preposterous proportions. Such is tradition.

Appropriately dressed (drip’d!) in the finest in funky rhinestone cowboy attire, complete with bedazzled, fringed jackets and matching ten-gallon hats, they treated us to a tour de force that won’t ever be forgotten by anyone who was present for the bedlam. The Nth Power, plus NOLA’s own Ivan Neville, Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk, longtime homegirl Amy Bellamy (keys), the astounding Cliff Porter (vox/percussion), Robert “Sput” Searight (keys), Aaron Bellamy (bass), and an all-world horn section of Rashawn Ross, Jeff Coffin, Ashlin Parker, Raymond James Mason, Aurélien Barnes, and Alex Wasily, this motley krewe all squeezed onto a cramped Toulouse Theater stage and proceeded to mow down the filthy GAP Band catalog. “Shake”, “Early In The Mornin’”, “You Dropped a Bomb”, “Oops Upside Ya Head”, “Burn Rubber”, “Outstanding”, “Party Train”—almost all high-octane burners one stacked on top of the next, save for a juicy “Yearning” in the first encore slot. Two straight hours of pedal-to-the-metal, and everything they did was on the one.

I’ve never seen Ivan Neville perform quite like this: full costume, full throttle, freaky frontman mode, completely inhabiting Charlie Wilson, yet still bringing his own patented 13th Ward steez to the stage. Nth’s uber-talented Cassarino was once again a man possessed, rockin’ side by side with the esteemed veteran Tony Hall, both totally immersed in Tulsa swagger. Glaspie, Edgar, and Porter were brimming with kinetic energy and furious style. This elite horn section was nothing short of a force of nature. A relentless rager for the ages, a history lesson and nod to Black Wall Street, and a decadent dance party all in one, and on the one. I had not really felt a room move quite like this since the Before Times. File under: Total deliverance.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – Sat 4/29 (late night) Tipitina’s

Saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Karl Denson (Greyboy Allstars, Rolling Stones) is a Jazz Fest late-night legend, a true master—you can check the credentials. In 2023, The Diesel is celebrating a quarter century of his Tiny Universe sidecar project. A fresh lineup has evolved for this chapter, with guitarist DJ Williams the lone holdover from the previous era. First Saturday at Tip’s Uptown, KDTU went late and dug deep into the annals of yesteryear, with a few from the modern era mixed in too.

NOLA-based drummer Alfred Jordan brought a spicy new groove to the funky R&B riddims, and guitarist Ricky Giordano has leveled up in a major way in his role next to Karl center-stage. Denson directed one long frame that stretched til nearly 5 in the morning, a far cry from the “sunrise set” millennial marathons, but it would turn out to be one of the latest shows of Jazz Fest 2023. A.C. Carter from TAUK joined Kenneth Crouch on keys for a number. Highlights for this writer included “Brother’s Keeper”, and appropriately, Cyril Neville’s classic “Gossip”.

[Video: nugsnet]

To bring it on home, at around 4:20 a.m. Karl D told a sweet story of KDTU’s first Jazz Fest late-night run back in 2000, recalling the sunlight beaming through the doors of the old Howlin’ Wolf (now Republic) as they prepared to play their final song after two long sets. He then pulled the ever-sensual rare cut “Perfect Swing” off the shelf for a sublimely sexy encore.

The reflection KD shared was—rather cosmically—my first Jazz Fest, my first KDTU show, and my first late-night show attended. In the interim two decades, I’ve never missed catching some Karl D during a NOLA Jazz Fest since. This evening at Tip’s was more fiery evidence why. A full circle moment for the Diesel and me, same as it ever was. Forever searchin’!

Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes – Sun 4/30 (late night) Maple Leaf; Thurs 5/4 Sauvage Fest

Color Red’s general is also part of the label’s latest phenomenon, as Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes were ablaze all over town. Whether it was Maple Leaf Bar, Sauvage Fest outside the Fairgrounds, Bayou Rendezvous, Blue Nile, or beyond, Roberts and company could be found tearing it up with swagger and authority. I had the good fortune of taking in the better part of two different performances over the two weeks of Jazz Fest. This inspired latest project from The New Mastersounds’ bandleader finds Eddie cookin’ up something a bit south of the Mason Dixon line. The Lucky Strokes set about unveiling a bubblin’ bluesy boogie that felt like a bit of a new lane for the dapper Brit axe-slinger.

[Video: Maple Leaf Bar]

A new face on the scene, Mississippi-based vocalist/rhythm guitarist Shelby Kemp brought tones of home in abundance, his whiskey-soaked vocal lending a searing authenticity to the sound paired with a sturdy second guitar supporting Roberts. Tampa-based sisters Ashley (bass) and Taylor Galbraith (drums) were steadily locked in, a robust battery that crafted a rugged yet solid foundation for Kemp, Roberts, and longtime Eddie-foil Chris Spies (keys) to run wild upon. From Johnny Taylor’s “Who’s Makin’ Love?” to James Gang‘s “Funk #49” to the Grant Green-styled “Ain’t It Funky Now”, and even The Blackbyrds‘ “Rock Creek Park”, this new band covered a whole lot of higher ground, and seem to have dialed in their own brand of mojo already.

This fresh ensemble and energy appears to have reinvigorated Eddie Roberts while opening his toolkit to even more geographical influences and styles. Jazz Fest after dark (and wild in the streets) was the ideal environment for fans to get properly acquainted with this dynamic new direction for Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes.

A Celebration of Dr. Lonnie Smith (feat. Will Blades, Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr., Herlin Riley & Will Bernard) – Tues 5/2 Blue Nile

Among the precious few times I had the privilege of seeing the late, great Dr. Lonnie Smith perform, most took place at the ever-vibey Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street during Jazz Fest. The organ maestro held court in this room with a humble, royal flair, oftentimes augmented by the peerless rhythm-work of the late NOLA icon Idris Muhammed. These French Quarter nights with the turban’d shaman remain some of the finest low-key Jazz Fest late-nights I’ve been blessed to experience.

A Celebration of Dr. Lonnie Smith (Ft. Will Blades, Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr., Herlin Riley & Will Bernard) – 5/2/23

[Video: FunkItBlog]

One of the good doctor’s most accomplished students is Wil Blades, the longtime Bay Area-based organist now working out of Los Angeles. For this memorial engagement, Blades put together some of the ol’ cronies who used to play Blue Nile with Dr. Lonnie, including all-world NOLA drummer Herlin Riley, Big Chief Donald Harrison on alto sax, and guitarist Will Bernard. Each donning a special Dr. Lonnie tee shirt for the occasion (gifts from Blue Nile owner Jesse Paige), the group would coalesce together to channel their dearly departed organ doctor in fine fashion. “Back Track”, “Play it Back”, and go for broke until it was “Too Damn Hot”. The threauxback rare groove was thick and juicy as the krewe welcomed local luminary Nicholas Payton (trumpet) to the stage to get seriously busy, as well as sax stalwart Khris Royal (Dark Matter), who’s a bit younger but hung tough with a pair of living legends lighting it up on each shoulder.

Eric’s Gonna Die – Sat. 4/30 (late night) Maple Leaf

Eric’s Gonna Die is an evolving collective of musicians led by NOLA-based bassist Eric Vogel, who holds that role in numerous bands with a joyous vibe and super-steady hand. A couple of years back, Vogel conceived of Eric’s Gonna Die “to help alleviate all my music industry frustrations.” The spirit of the name is that many side/session cats enjoy playing the material they’re paid to play, but there is always something else that they’re really “dying” to perform. Like “Eric’s gonna die” if he does not get a chance to play these songs he cut his teeth on, with these cats he loves to play with, and so on.

Vogel once described his vision for Eric’s Gonna Die as “3 parts Larry Graham, 1 part Jaco Pastorius, 2 parts Rocco Prestia, 1 part Marcus Miller, 2 parts Victor Wooten, 2 parts George Porter Jr.. Singers, horns, guitars, percussion, drums, bass.”

 

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On this night, Vogel assembled a murderer’s row of (mostly) local assassins. The core band consisted of Nikki Glaspie (drums/vocals), Nigel Hall (keys/vocals), Eric “Benny” Bloom (trumpet/vocals), Brad Walker (sax), and Danny Abel (guitar), with the set split between two frontpeople, vocalist Erica Falls for the first half and guitarist/vocalist Marcus King for the second half. At some point, Susan Tedeschi found her way to the stage to help sing Bobby Womack’s “Woman’s Gotta Have It”. This was an unplanned, all-time, only at Jazz Fest moment that nobody will ever forget.

Other highlights permanently seared into my mind’s eye include Nigel belting out the Isley Brothers‘ “Work to Do” with his own “Gotta Go to Work” woven into the mix. Ms. Falls trading lyrics with Nigel and Nikki while lighting up Tower of Power’s “Only So Much Oil” and Chaka Khan’s “We’ve Got Each Other”, a lengthy romp through the Allman Brothers Band‘s “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” with Lettuce’s Ryan Zoidis taking a snake-charming solo on soprano sax, and Frankie Beverly & Maze‘s funkafied banger “Back In Stride”—which Nigel has long made his own—to bring it on home well after four in the morning. I’ll leave the rest to your colorful imagination, or you can watch the full-show video below thanks to the mighty Maple Leaf Bar.

Eric’s Gonna Die With Special Guest Marcus King – 4/30/23

[Video: Maple Leaf Bar]

Zildjian 400th Anniversary Party – Tues 5/2 (matinee) Tipitina’s

Tipitna’s was the site of an afternoon matinee in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Zildjian, the world’s oldest musical instrument brand. Since the show took place between New Orleans Jazz Fest weekends, they were able to feature a cavalcade of local drumming stars and musicians in town playing the fest. Fifteen total drummers were featured, and each played on one tune. The set included local classics and deeper cuts by Dr. John, The Meters, Dumpstaphunk, plus funky numbers from The GAP Band and Parliament Funkadelic.

Of the 15 drummers profiled, each brought some special sauce to the equation. Some favorites for this writer included A.J. Hall’s swaggering take on The GAP Band’s “Shake”, Raymond Weber ruling on his own “Livin’ In A World Gone Mad” (Dumpstaphunk), the iconic Dennis Chambers putting his own spin on “Look A Py Py” then thumping out “One Nation Under A Groove”, and local living legend Herlin Riley stealing the whole damn show driving Lee Dorsey’s “Night People” with a certain verve and energy that levitated just a bit higher than his esteemed peers.

 

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Tipitina’s co-owner and modern day NOLA drumming hero Stanton Moore emceed the program with hoarse voice but heaping buckets of childlike enthusiasm. The tight two-hour revue was held down by a thorough house band led by Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan Neville and Tony Hall and included Eric Krasno, John Michael Bradford, Ari Teitel, Brad Walker, Joe Ashlar, Taku Hirano, and Pedro Segundo, among others. The stage positioned two house kits out front to provide the drummers with the spotlight and attention from what was a packed house.

Bonus: after the show let out, I headed over to the BBQ smoker in the median where the elderly woman with the trache was holding kitchen. It was there, during a lengthy wait in queue, that I could be a fly on the windshield of the truck that towed the smoker as DJ Soul Sister, Gerald French of The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, and a couple of other local OGs discussed and debated drummers, rhythms, and styles native to the city’s culture—an appropriate and illuminating lesson in the tailwind of the intergenerational exchange we collectively experienced inside Tip’s hallowed ground just moments earlier.

Jon Batiste – Tues  5/2 (pop-up show) Maple Leaf

In a wild turn of events, NOLA’s Grammy-winning prodigal son Jon Batiste booked a pop-up show at the tiny Maple Leaf Bar on Tuesday night ahead of his headlining set at Jazz Fest on second Friday. The Maple Leaf Bar was super sold out just a few minutes after tickets went on sale that morning, yet my spidey senses told my gut that I should head on up to Oak Street and try my luck. Someone, somewhere, must’ve been lookin’ out for me, because in spite of a couple dozen hopefuls spilling out into the street, your humble narrator found his way into the gig just moments before Jon Batiste made his way from the back of the venue.

The super packed Maple Leaf parted like the Red Sea so the main event could take it to the stage. Cousin Russell Batiste served as host and emcee, announcing the band and welcoming cuz back to the Maple Leaf throne. Jon showed love back to his kin by opening with a song that Russell himself wrote, Papa Grows Funk’s “Soul Second Line”. The family affair continued as Jon’s father Michael hopped on bass for the omnipresent “Lil Liza Jane”.

 

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I can’t recall the last time I saw the Maple Leaf this crowded, so I was mostly relegated to the back section of the shotgun dive bar, lurking near the soundboard and the back bar with television broadcast, and occasionally spilling onto the refurbished back patio from time to time to look at the bricks.

Meanwhile, Batiste and his corps uncorked spirited romps through hallowed chestnuts like “Iko Iko” and “St. James Infirmary”, as well as ‘Tell the Truth” and “I Need You” from Jon’s 2021 Grammy-winning album We Are. In a whirlwind 70-minute set, the former Late Show With Stephen Colbert bandleader played keys, bass, and of course had to bust out the melodica a time or two. There were raucous percussion breakdowns, and Booker-esque piano boogies too. Batiste’s reverence for the city that made him was authentic and heartfelt as he shouted out a laundry list of the city’s icons, legends of the past that laid the foundation for his own greatness on display right before our eyes.

Shantytown Underground  – Thursday 5/4 Lagniappe Stage; Chickie Wah Wah

In October 2022, I came upon a lengthy essay on social media from the sage Papa Mali in which the NOLA-based musician reflected on his nascent journey in reggae music and culture. Recollections from his time with seminal American group Killer Bees, touring with Burning Spear, making records with Earl Chinna Smith, getting invited to play the world-renowned Reggae Sunsplash, plus ruminations on the influence that New Orleans soul and R&B music had on Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and early ’70s roots reggae. My curiosity was piqued!

Enter Shantytown Underground, Papa Mali’s new horn-driven ensemble that explores that very same cross-pollinating lineage, reimagining NOLA classics by the likes of Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, and Lee Dorsey in the style of classic Jamaican artists like The Skatalites, The Heptones, and the Studio One house band, Sound Dimension, plus groovy renditions of beloved anthems like Dawn Penn’s iconic 1967 canon-blast “No, No, No”, and Irma Thomas‘ “Time Is On My Side”, among others.

 

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I started my second Thursday afternoon at the Lagniappe Stage with Shantytown Underground, which includes guitarist Jonathan Freilich (New Orleans Klezmer Allstars) and keyboardist Andriu Yanovski (Tony Hall, Boogie T). While the daytime set was fantastic, I longed to move to this kind of music in a proper nightclub setting. Lucky for us, later that same night at 1:00 a.m., Shantytown Underground was also playing Chickie Wah Wah. I bookended the day with this band and showed up for 90 more minutes of yardie vibes deep into the night.

Only time I can ever recall seeing two separate concerts of the same band, twice in the same waking day/night. I’m damn sure glad I did because I’m not sure there’s another contingent mining these particular annals and avenues quite like Shantytown Underground is. After six months of patient anticipation since that fateful Facebook post, this squad really delivered the vibes and the goods in equal measure.

Nigel Hall With Neal Francis & His Band  – Fri. 5/5 (late night) Chickie Wah Wah

When I saw that this connection was coming to life on the stage during Jazz Fest 2023, it immediately became a priority show. Both Nigel Hall and Neal Francis, independent of one another, are among the most electrifying raw talents I’ve ever been just a few feet away from while they performed. Both men are virtuosos on the keyboards, touched with fairy dust and star power. They have lived through tremendous, personal, often self-inflicted trials and tribulations that did not manage to kill them but certainly made them stronger. When Nigel got out of rehab, Neal was among his first phone calls; this here is a sober breauxmance with profound roots even deeper than the tickled ivories.

And now, these dudes were gonna take it to the stage—live and direct, in Nigel’s town, with Neal’s band… time to fly!

It being late night at Jazz Fest, there was an audible conversational buzz at times, and unfortunately this seemed to bother Hall a little bit. Francis’s ebullient and energized squadron appeared unphased by the commotion, and the quintet—with Nigel handling lead vocals—set about tearing through a scorching “Layaway” (The Isley Brothers) for a perfect opening salvo. Soon came a blissed-out take on Bill Withers’ timeless “Lovely Day”, then Ann Peebles‘ “I Can’t Stand the Rain”, the latter of which we can add to the list of classic cuts that Hall has long made his own.

Nigel Hall & Neal Francis – “Lovely Day” – 5/5/23

[Video: Karen Dugan]

Speaking of, both gents busted out bangers from their own respective burgeoning songbooks. Nigel uncorked the defiant “Don’t Change For Me”, while Neal dug into his tracks “Very Fine” and the buoyant “BNYLV”. A pair of friends with horns showed up towards the end of the set, as trombonist Alex Wasily (Dumpstaphunk, Francis Comes Alive) and his Chi-town pal Corbin Andrick (Second City) brought brass heat to the “Bad Mamma Jamma” jam inside “BNYLV” and encore combo “Uncle Remus” > “Everything is Everything”.

Despite the fact that I hyped this gig up between my ears for the better part of two months, these fellas still managed to somehow exceed my expectations. For the better part of 100 minutes, the two teetotaling keyboardists went toe to toe up front and center, trading licks, winks, tunes, and vibrational stoke with aplomb, a brothership connection that was nothing short of beautiful to behold. I hope this happens once again.

Anna Moss & the Nightshades  Sat. 5/6 – Lagniappe Stage at Jazz Fest

Handmade Moments – Sun. 5/7 (pop-up show) Rabbit Hole

Saturday afternoon, it was pouring rain on and off, but nothing was going to stop this guy from catching the lovely and talented Ms. Anna Moss & the Nightshades make her Fairgrounds debut at the Lagniappe Stage just before 2 p.m. Fortunately, that area had a considerable amount of coverage from the crying skies, which made for a very packed house seated at focused attention. Moss, best known as one half of the quirky duo Handmade Moments, more than rose to the occasion, delivering a magnificent set that most certainly made her numerous new fans, many of whom had likely just popped into Lagniappe to get out of the storm. Ably assisted by her longtime partner Joel Ludford on bass, plus vocalists Sari Jordan and Cyrille Aimée, and trombonist Miles Lyons (SOUL Brass Band), among others, Anna Moss was scintillating, confidently serenading while singing in the rain. A hilarious highlight was the late-set “Big Dick Energy”, which had the capacity crowd roaring with laughter and soon squealing along.

 

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At the end of her magnetic performance on the Lagniappe, Moss announced a last-minute pop-up show with Handmade Moments the following night at the new hot-spot, The Rabbit Hole. Naturally, I could not bear to miss this engagement either, and about two dozen of us who had the good sense to get down there Sunday evening were rewarded with an intimate, inspired set from the delectable duo. The music they chose focused on their forthcoming full-length LP End the Wars, which the pair repeatedly noted is dropping very soon, a couple from their covers album, as well as the title track to 2017’s sublime Paw Paw Tree.

Gabrielle Cavassa – Sat. 5/6 AARP Rhythmporium (at Jazz Fest)

Making her Jazz Fest debut, vocalist extraordinaire Gabrielle Cavassa was an absolute revelation in the Rhythmporium. As many folks tucked into the nondescript tent to merely avoid the persistent rain showers, they were soon delighted by a phenomenal performance from Miss Cavassa and her ultra tight trio that consisted of Nigel Hall (keys), Lex Warshawsky (upright bass), and Thomas Glass (drums).

Formerly a contestant on American Idol, Cavassa was based and bubblin’ in the Bay Area before relocating to NOLA seven years ago. She swiftly fell in with some of the best musicians in town; her 2020 self-titled debut album was produced by Jamison Ross. As the raindrops steadily pitter-pattered on the tent’s roof, Gabrielle commanded the small stage with serious steez, rocking a stylish dress with a trucker hat that read, “This Is My First Rodeo.” Unphased, she wistfully sang several numbers by her own hand, and one couldn’t help but identify influences like Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, juxtaposed with a little Amy Winehouse energy, and SZA’s swag too.

 

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In addition to a killer band, Cavassa brought her cheeky sense of humor to the stage, unpacking a series of snafus with former lovers and previous partners, rummaging through original songs like the hilarious “Podcasts”. She shifted from the silliness to sublime crooning of the highest order. The highpoint of the set for this guy was a tear-jerker interpolation of The Stylistics’ timeless “Betcha By Golly, Wow”, a stupendous rendition that had every last soggy soul in the Rhythmporium totally transfixed.

Came for the low-key Nigel Hall hit, but got smittened by this stunning chanteuse. Gabrielle Cavassa—get familiar!

Adam Deitch Quartet (AD4) – Sun. 5/7 Blue Nile

By the time second Sunday night had rolled around, Adam Deitch had been playing shows pretty much every night for the duration of Jazz Fest. The man literally took one night off. First Thursday (April 27th), I saw him play a two-hour set with BTTRFLY Quintet, then he took off to sit in with New Orleans Suspects immediately thereafter. That’s his (and many other peers) basic modus operandi for their time down in NOLA during Fest.

Twelve days later, we arrived at his final show of Jazz Fest 2023, the annual Adam Deitch Quartet hit at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street. This show has also evolved into something of a tradition in this room, and once again it was packed and pulsating for the rare-groove stylings of AD4. The band delivered two scintillating hours of kaleidoscopic soul-jazz that would make Rudy Van Gelder proud. Deitch led his trusty troupe through tracks from debut LP Egyptian Secrets and previewed “Have Faith” and “Mushroom Gravy”, a couple of cuts from forthcoming sophomore LP Roll The Tape. The freewheeling foursome welcomed hot local axeman Ari Teitel to get busy and invited the famed Tambourine Lady to the stage for a thrilling gospel rave-up.

 

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Adam Deitch has been embraced by the NOLA music community like few other outta-towners. His presence in the scene and on the stage commands reverence and respect in a city where it’s hard to earn it playing for the away team. Each of Deitch’s AD4 bandmates maintains a similarly deeply-rooted relationship with this place: Eric “Benny” Bloom, Ryan Zoidis, and Wil Blades all have their own passionate romances with The City That Care Forgot, and despite that fact that only Bloom has called NOLA home, when these cats come together in this room, it sounds like Jazz Fest, and even feels a little bit like New Orleans, too.

Honorable Mentions: More Fantastic Sets From Jazz Fest 2023:

BTTRFLY Quintet With Special Guests Rashawn Ross, Jeff Coffin, & Maurice “MoBetta” Brown  Thurs. 4/27 Nola Brewing

[Video: FunkItBlog]

Team FOMO – 2023 Shows I Sure Wish I Caught:

“Judge your Jazz Fest not by what you saw, but instead measure it by who or what you were forced to miss.”
–Fest Proverb © SuperDee, 2001

The Rumble – Weds. 4/26 Maple Leaf

[Video: Maple Leaf Bar]

Click Here for a comprehensive list of all the shows I attended during NOLA Jazz Fest 2023

I’d like to offer my sincerest thanks and deepest bow of gratitude to the great city of New Orleans, all of the incredible musicians, the service industry, everybody who works on making the festival and shows happen from top to bottom, and, of course, the amazing, resilient, illuminating people of this great city, those wonderful souls who continue to roll out the red carpet for us, year after year.

Lagniappe Love to Jesse Paige and Eddie Lonzo at Blue Nile, Tony Ciaccio at Backbeat Foundation, Maple Leaf Bar staff, Chickie Wah Wah, Tipitina’s, Derrick Smoker Freeman, Shaggy and NOLA Crawfish Fest, Live For Live Music, GMP Live, and all my awesome hosts and benefactors from Jazz Fests past and present. See ya next spring!

Words: B.Getz

Special Thanks to Randy Bayers at Funk It Blog.