A treasured ritual that sees thousands of music maniacs descend on the Crescent City every spring, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is the grand-daddy of ‘em all, an adventure in funky gluttony like none other. World-famous in its 51st iteration and now something of a Mecca, Jazz Fest is an unparalleled experience of live American roots music, international sounds, delectable regional cuisine, and a whirlwind dose of Bayou culture all rolled up into one satiating pilgrimage and celebration.

Like they say about baseball, “It happens every spring”—or so we thought, as Jazz Fest flourished for half-a-century, enduring through the various trials and tribulations that have plagued this city.

And then… the pandemic. Six weeks before Jazz Fest 2020. With it came multiple cancellations and postponements, the likes of which nobody had ever seen or heard. Two years and three Jazz Fests—2020 and 2021, plus another ill-fated October 2021 makeup attempt—were swept up in the storm that was (and, as we would soon be reminded, still is) COVID-19.

In the interim, like so many other cities, New Orleans suffered, though since its economy is heavily predicated on music tourism throughout the year, the Big Easy likely had it harder than most. A couple of music clubs closed down, as did a few restaurants, among other local businesses and establishments. There were subtle changes to the complexion of the city, not unlike what’s happening all over the rest of the United States in the wake of the pandemic.

The city’s flagship radio station and culture-bearer, WWOZ, did its best to offer some Jazz Fest spirit in the form of the wildly-popular Jazz Festing In Place programming. In an attempt to fill the gaping hole that the cancellations created, these streaming-focused events delivered some of the rarest and most treasured performances from Jazz Fest’s illustrious history, plumbing the depths of the musical and storytelling vaults to keep memories of this beloved event at the front of fans’ minds. The series, which returned in 2021 as Festing In Place: The Next Fest Thing, also served to maintain a steady flow of donations for the festival and its parallel foundation as it suffered some major financial setbacks, one after the next.

There were numerous seismic human losses in the music community during the three years of Jazz Fest silence— true patron saints of New Orleans. Ellis Marsalis, patriarch of the famed Marsalis family, died early into the pandemic journey in Spring 2020. The pioneering Louisiana musician Dave Bartholomew expired at the age of 100 in the summer of 2019, and Jazz Fest founder and festival visionary George Wein transitioned in September 2021 at the age of 95.

The great NOLA icon Dr. John passed away in June 2019, just after the 50th Jazz Fest. Shortly thereafter, it was Art “Poppa Funk” Neville, co-founder of The Meters and a force within iconic New Orleans ambassadors The Neville Brothers, who closed down the biggest stage at the festival proper for many, many years.

The gigantic contributions of both of these gentleman to this city’s fabric were properly feted during Jazz Fest’s 2022 return. Their music and memories could be heard and revisited on a number of stages over the course of seven festival days at the Fairgrounds. All over the city’s packed nightclubs for twelve sweaty, scorching funky nights, Dr. John and Art Neville’s songs and legacy were celebrated, culminating in the Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper event that packed The Fillmore second Saturday evening.

 

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While New Orleans Jazz Fest returned in full force in 2022, with a stacked lineup card for seven days at the racetrack and grids brimming with concerts after dark, the specter of COVID-19 loomed larger than most expected or predicted.

Even before the party got going down south, a noted uptick in cases nationwide throughout the month of April all but ensured that at least some of the many, many thousands who traveled to New Orleans would bring the bug to the Big Easy with them.

COVID affected, me your humble narrator, both directly and indirectly on both ends of my annual trip to Jazz Fest. A thrice-postponed writer’s conference in Los Angeles was rescheduled to the same days as weekend one. So, thanks to the pandemic, I was forced to miss the initial days of the big return in New Orleans.

Then, smack dab in the middle of my Jazz Fest, I finally contracted COVID-19 after having steered clear through 26 months of proactivity and precaution. I spent my last four days and nights in my favorite city alone in a hotel room, ill and isolating, suffering a similar situation to that of George Porter Jr., Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Charlie Gabriel, Papa Mali, and members of Pimps of Joytime—each of whom had to cancel performances during Jazz Fest after coming down with COVID.

Countless more cases of COVID seemed to surface after New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2022 and its surrounding celebrations wrapped up and folks scattered away from the city. While Jazz Fest 2022 was a resounding success and rewarding return to form, it equally served to remind us that the pandemic still lingers.

I have been blessed to head on down to the Jazz Fest for eighteen glorious years since 2000. Each and every visit, I do my best to deliver a thorough recollection of my favorite musical experiences, with a decided focus on the night show programming. In 2022, COVID forced many of us to Jazz Fest a wee bit differently, and due to my own ultimately-founded concerns going into it, I found it somewhat difficult to fully surrender to the intoxicating Jazz Fest flow. My entire experience was pretty damn truncated when all was sung and done.

Therefore, this year’s feature review will be a bit lighter on shows, details, and analysis—and, quite possibly, colored by a tinge of disappointment. Yet, all things re-reconsidered, I must recognize that to Jazz Fest is but a privilege, and to even get back there for four action-packed days and disco nights is a blessing—one that I’m still proud to recount, with the help of a smattering of choice videos courtesy of my esteemed collaborator and trusted attorney, Randy Bayers of Funk It Blog.

Reunion. Rebirth. Revival. Re-emergence. Renewal. Reignition. Revolution. Numerous r-words were bandied about as dedicated revelers finally returned to their musical Holy Land, kicking things off the night before the festival on Thursday April 28th, and raging hot and heavy through till The Nth Power’s annual, ever-titillating “The Last Hoorah” on Monday May 9th.

The reverberations of a full whole weekend of killer performances at the Fairgrounds and deep into the night were apparent even before I touched down on NOLA soil. Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz took over the Orpheum Theater on Thursday, April 28th for a rollicking night of deranged improv featuring Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, Mike Dillon on vibes and percussion, and the incomparable Skerik on sax.

Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz – Joy Theater – 4/28/22

Later that weekend, the mighty Lettuce threw down their annual Rage Fest at the Joy, uncorking the debut performance of “Vamanos”, a titanic number from their forthcoming LP, Unify, due June 3. At The Fillmore New Orleans, local heroes Dumpstaphunk, led by the great Ivan Neville, were joined by bassist George Porter Jr. for a selection of deeper cuts originally laid down by his pioneering quartet, The Meters. Meanwhile, Stanton Moore, another local hero, invaded Blue Nile with organist Wil Blades and NOLA’s adopted son Eric Krasno on guitar for a night of classic chestnuts.

Wil Blades, Eric Krasno, Stanton Moore – Blue Nile – 4/30/22

Beloved Oklahoma trio Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey returned to Cafe Istanbul late on Sunday night, boasting the classic lineup of Brian Haas, Reed Mathis, and Jason Smart. Word is, these old pals coalesced rather magically for what many called the best show of the whole festival run.

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – Cafe Istanbul – 5/1/22

Surrounded by family, friends, and fans alike, Cyril Neville – the Uptown Ruler, Neville Brother, and iconic vocalist/percussionist – was honored with his star on the Tipitina’s Walk of Fame.

I arrived, finally, on Monday night and made a beeline for Frenchman Street, starting with Johnny Vidocavich Trio at the venerable d.b.a. On this engagement, the erstwhile rappin’ skinsman was ably assisted by all-world keyboard maven John Medeski and rising trumpet phenom Eric “Benny” Bloom of Lettuce. The three nomads galloped, strutted, and shimmied through 100 minutes of Crescent City swagger, with Bloom occasionally joining Medeski on his vaunted Hammond B3 for a bit of double trouble, served bubblin’ hot. Snarky Puppy’s Chris Bullock stepped out of the shadows to blow a terrific tenor saxophone.

From there, we walked a block down the street to the Blue Nile, which made some tremendous upgrades during the downtime, including the best bathrooms of any venue in the city. Monday night saw the Big Lil’ Jesus Peasant Party take over the Nile for two sets of bold, psychedelic, instrumental hip-hop, future bass jams, and bubonic dub reggae excursions.

Lettuce’s bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes helms his annual joyride through the annals of sonic adventuring with his older brother Tycoon holding down the drums. In this iteration of the Peasant Party, Adam Deitch played synth-bass, samples, and various keyboards, often joined by Wil Blades or Benny Bloom. Stage right on a stool sat Ryan Zoidis, armed with his alto sax, Korg X-911 synth setup, and a wily command of Scratch’s science of arkology. Over the course of two patient sets, the longtime Lettuce affiliates and their filial associates took a sizable Nile massive on a long, strange, and spirited trip thousands of leagues deep through oceanic riddims and sojourns in sound.

Big Lil’ Baby Jesus Peasant Party – Blue Nile – 5/2/22

Tuesday afternoon we set out for the inaugural Daze Between New Orleans festival, a collaboration between Live For Live Music, GMP Live, Purple Hat Productions, and Rose Tours located at the sprawling Faubourg Brewery grounds in New Orleans East. The musical lineup featured a fine blend of local and national acts, and the location was perfect for the occasion.

Related: Daze Between New Orleans Day One: The String Cheese Incident Ft. Billy Strings, Snarky Puppy, & More [Photos/Videos]

On Tuesday, Lettuce fam Benny & the Late Bloomers and Eric Krasno & Friends kicked things off for this maiden voyage. With Nigel Hall in tow, the virtuosic Nicholas Payton led a band on a variety of different instruments, stunning the crowd with an instrumental version of D’Angelo’s “The Root”.

Later in the afternoon, I was quite impressed by Snarky Puppy’s fantastic performance as the sun began to make its way over the horizon, with a tremendous sit-in by all-world djembefola (and longtime Snarky Puppy collaborator) Weedie Braimah. Local siren Erica Falls brought her tight, focused band of local hitters for a scorching set on the small stage, while headliners The String Cheese Incident welcomed Snarky Puppy’s Shaun Martin and Nate Werth as well as special guest Billy Strings during their two-set stint.

Erica Falls – Daze Between New Orleans – 5/3/22

Wednesday’s Daze Between daytime highlights included the always riotous Rebirth Brass Band; The Rumble a new endeavor from local guitarist Ari Teitel, the burly brothers from Butcher Brown, and Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. Late afternoon saw an absolutely slammin’ Lettuce set chock-full of dynamite improvisational soundscapes and irresistibly funky workouts. The boys were blessed by Dr. Klaw himself, with a Nick Daniels III appearance on latest single “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”.

Lettuce ft. Nick Daniels III – “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” – Daze Between New Orleans – 5/4/22

NOLA buzz band The Iceman Special dropped some heat on the small stage immediately following Lettuce, making a bunch of new fans (myself among them), with a gritty gumbo of hard rock, progressive fusion jams, and electro dance rhythms. I’ve been keepin’ ears on these dudes for a couple of years now, and they’ve built a fervent, loyal fanbase in the Southeast. Safe to say the future is mighty bright for The Iceman Special.

The Iceman Special – Daze Between New Orleans – 5/4/22

Read my colleague Andrew O’Brien’s full recaps of Tuesday and Wednesday’s Daze Between New Orleans festivities at Faubourg Brewery and check out the official recap video for the inaugural event below.

Daze Between New Orleans 2022 – Official Recap Video

Tuesday’s early evening was spent at the NOLA Crawfish Festival, held at The Broadside and hosted as always by Crawfish King and local legend Chris Davis. This is among the more authentic New Orleans experiences available during Jazz Fest, and I was grateful to have a chance to soak in some proper music and culture during my brief stay. We arrived just in time for a thorough set from Tony Hall Band.

Dumpstaphunk’s bassist/guitarist/vocalist was joined by his longtime friend and foil, the great Raymond Weber on drums. Another star was Teitel on searing guitar, along with keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, Steve Lands on trumpet, and Brad Walker on sax. Between James Brown workouts and a killer run through Steely Dan’s “Black Cow”, Hall and company wasted nary a moment in keeping a solid-sized crowd movin’ and shakin’. Eric Krasno slid through for a couple jams, and at the end of the set, Tony welcomed a trifecta of singers, Mahogany Blue (freshly dipped and looking pretty in pink), for a scintillating run though Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody”, among other tunes.

Tony Hall & Friends – NOLA Crawfish Festival – 5/3/22

[Video: Nunupics Zomot]

That set was followed with more local love as the ageless wonder George Porter Jr. led a troupe called NOLA Crawfish Fest All-Stars. This quartet includes Dave Malone of The Radiators on guitar and vocals flanked by Billy Iuso on guitar and vocals, with the always-killin’ Terence “Swampgrease” Higgins holding down the Bayou rhythms. The four old friends first came together as a favor to Davis at this event’s inaugural year, and continue to return every year during the days between. This year’s NOLA Crawfish Fest All-Stars set was another scorcher, highlighted by beloved songs from the Crescent City canon including cuts from the Radiators and Iuso, the ever-sturdy “Smokestack Lightning”, and even an appropriate crawfish-themed number from Elvis Presley.

NOLA Crawfish Fest All-Stars – NOLA Crawfish Fest – 5/3/22

[Video: Nunupics Zomot]

Tuesday night was action-packed. After the Daze Between event at Faubourg and the NOLA Crawfish Fest jams, I made my way back down to Frenchman Street for a few songs of SOUL Brass Band at d.b.a. Derrick Freeman’s popular local unit welcomed guitarist Sasha Brown to the fold for a few shows during Jazz Fest, and the squad came out the gates with a rollicking run through The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”.

After a couple songs there, I hustled down to the new One Eyed Jacks, located on Decatur just a few blocks away from the clubs on Frenchman Street. Adam Deitch & Friends kicked things off, as the venerable Lettuce/Break Science drummer/bandleader drafted fellow LETT co-founder Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff on guitar, the wildly-talented and always unpredictable Maurice “MoBetta” Brown on trumpet and emceeing, Snarky Puppy’s Shaun Martin on keyboards, amd local heavyweight Nick Daniels III holding down the low end theory on bass.

As far as Deitch-led improvisational adventures go, this was a solid set of funky grooves and hip-hop swagger. Coming off the top rope with a titanic take on The Meters’ “Ease Back”, performed more in line with the Grant Green arrangement, set the tone for a slammin’ set. Other highlights included a phenomenal instrumental run through Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” as well as several classic rap signposts like “Woo Hah” by Busta Rhymes, “Sucker MC’s” by Run DMC, and A Tribe Called Quest “Clap Your Hands”, which samples The Meters “Hand Clapping Song”.

Adam Deitch & Friends – “Inner City Blues” (Marvin Gaye) – One Eyed Jacks – 5/3/22

Taking the same stage just twenty minutes after this two-hour Deitch tour was the always-astonishing Worship My Organ. This annual show is roughly a decade deep now, though this marked its first time on Live For Live Music’s late-night roster.  The set switches participants regularly and has bounced around venues over the years, yet always stays true to its original vision: total, fearless improvisation led by the relentless conjurings of organists John Medeski and Robert Walter. Once again, Worship would welcome the diabolical contributions of Skerik on sax, and was powered by the determination of Adam Deitch’s pulsating improvisational grooves. Special guests included Maurice Brown on trumpet and Chicago’s buzz-bin organist Neal Francis. Not that this show ever disappoints, but on this night, it was particularly potent maniacal medicine.

Wednesday night’s sold-out Daze Between Band show at Tipitina’s would be my only trip to the famed venue that was bought out of near-foreclosure by Galactic, who performed there twice themselves during Jazz Fest. The Daze Between Band, another collaboration between Live For Live Music, GMP, and Purple Hat Productions, was a rousing success in its first year in a new home uptown at Tip’s. After a sweet opening set from Richmond, VA’s Butcher Brown, George Porter Jr. and Eric Krasno led another all-star collective of the finest purveyors of jazz-funk in the jam scene, dotted with some special guests from around the way. Check out AOB’s detailed look back at this instant classic here.

Thursday was my first chance to get back to the Fairgrounds in over 1,000 days, and unfortunately would be my only full day at the track this year. Thankfully, I made it count, making my way to the Crawfish Monica stand immediately. Pure deliverance. As for the music, it was an awesome “Locals Day” in 2022, kicking things off with Nigel Hall backed by Butcher Brown at Congo Square, the first music of the day for many people. Nigel brought Kraz out for “Don’t Change For Me”. Hall was followed by NOLA ambassador extraordinaire Kermit Ruffins on that same stage, before I moseyed on over for Leo Nocentelli debuting his “Another Side” album for the first time in New Orleans on the Gentilly Stage.

Ziggy Marley – Rastaman Vibration (Bob Marley) – Jazz Fest (Congo Square) – 5/5/22

[Video: Karen Dugan]

Later in the day, the white-hot bluegrass phenom Billy Strings performed to a packed Gentilly Stage, while Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers were blissing out some Nesta anthems to the irie throngs at Congo Square. Yet, the best set I was lucky to catch that Thursday afternoon was delivered in the Jazz Tent by New Orleans’ own drummer celebre, Herlin Riley. Just masterful wizardry, stunning every last human who had the good sense to find their way to this performance.

Related: New Orleans Jazz Fest In 3 Hours: Billy Strings, Bettye LaVette, Ziggy Marley, More Open Weekend 2 [Photos/Videos]

Thursday evening I kicked things off at the Blue Nile for more Nigel Hall, the soul man again backed by Butcher Brown with special guest Craig Brodhead on guitar, who subbed in for Morgan Spurs all week in NOLA. Butcher Brown supports Hall on his phenomenal 2021 LP, Spiritual, and his solo gigs over the weekend were primarily focused on cuts from that record. After an opening set of mostly Butcher Brown tunes, Nigel took command of the Blue Nile stage and never let go for the remainder of the rage. Not even a torrential downpour complete with thunder, lightning, and a brief power outage could steal the spotlight from the enigmatic Nigel Hall.

Since Butcher Brown’s all-world keyboardist DJ Harrison was holding him down, Nigel was free to really take his vocal performance to the next level. Hall’s LETT bredren Ryan Zoidis joined the ever-swollen squad for a buttery solo on soprano sax. Nigel welcomed a few others to his stage, including Los Angeles-based guitarist John Notto, who Nigel called his best friend, and vocalist Collin Miller. Another old friend of Hall’s, Oakland’s Vivica Hawkins, stepped up with some smoky backing vocals as well. Set highlight for this writer was “When I Die”, a song recorded decades ago by an obscure outfit called Motherlode, but later made famous by J Dilla on his swan song, Donuts.

 

Immediately following Nigel at Blue Nile was Break Science Live Band, Deitch and keyboardist/producer Borahm Lee’s electro-soul project, now entering its fifteenth year in existence. The current configuration included Colorado bassist Hunter Roberts laying down the low end and NOLA-based world-music purveyor Raja Kassis (Weedie Braimah’s Hands of Time, 79ers Gang) on guitar. The group delivered a hard-charging performance with a hefty helping of improv. The krewe touched on a few crunk classics from the Break Science catalog but focused more on some exciting new beginnings.

Deitch called the current Break Science sound “hybrid jazz, electro, afrobeat and future soul”, and each of those elements were explored thoroughly during the two-hour tour de force. Break Science Live Band’s set was punctuated by another glistening soprano sax sit-in from Ryan Zoidis, the second such stunner of the evening. For the encore, Ms. Hawkins returned for a take on Roy Ayers “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”, and a sultry re-imagining of Aaliyah’s “If You’re Girl Only Knew.”

 

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I hustled back over to One Eyed Jack’s for a dose of Dinner Party, a veritable murderers row of today’s finest players in jazz and hip-hop. Keyboardist Robert Glasper is a genius who needs no introduction, his star power and virtuoso was the engine that drove this conglomerate. Ably assisted by multi-instrumentalist/producer Terrace Martin (Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg) and kaleidoscopic saxophone king Kamasi Washington, Dinner Party teamed up some longtime friends and partners-in-sound to deliver four sets over two nights at this new venue. I was lucky to sneak in there for nearly an hour of the late-night set on Thursday. Sho’nuff, Dinner Party delivered the goods: hybrid hip-hop jams, psychedelic R&B, and an abundance of jazz gymnastics juxtaposed with DJ cuts and samples, making for ambitious explorations across the sonic waves.

After Dinner Party wrapped, we hustled over to The Howlin’ Wolf for the annual Steely Dan tribute set, performed by another assembly of the heavy hitters in the jazz-funk scene. I felt fortunate that this show ran quite late and I was able to take in nearly an hour of sizzlin’ Steely jams, powered by the undeniable thump of former Turkuaz drummer Michelangelo Carubba. The hour was late and the COVID was subtly coming on, but I vaguely recall a sweet detour into an Eddie Money classic “Two Tickets to Paradise”. Check out full photo galleries from the late-night party here.

On Friday, I woke up and I knew something wasn’t right. While I didn’t test positive for COVID for another day, the symptoms were pointing in that direction Friday afternoon. I felt terrible, and I sensed the cause was more concerning than the usual Jazz Fest fatigue. I chose to pull the plug on the Fairgrounds on Friday afternoon, missing the Midnight Disturbers set for Kevin O’Day, and Cuban pheneoms CIMAFUNK, both performances that I’d been so looking forward to.

In somewhat of a leftfield booking, drummer/producer Karriem Riggins and the world-renowned DJ J-ROCC teamed up for some live hip-hop at the Ace Hotel. Thankfully, Funk It Blog was on hand to capture some of the short, dynamic performance.

 

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Friday night, May 6th, Republic NOLA hosted the return of Earth, Wind & Power, a celebrated tribute to Earth, Wind, & Fire helmed by The Nth Power and a bevy of carefully curated collaborators. 2022’s ensemble included Eric Krasno, bassist MonoNeon, local trombone phenom Big Sam Williams, Skerik, Weedie Braimah, members of The Motet, Nicholas Payton, Erica Falls, and more. Born during Jazz Fest in 2016 and revisited again the following year, Nth’s EWF tribute was the group’s first endeavor if its kind, a trend that would spawn various other tribute sets for the group. Always a must-see engagement, I managed to make it to this concert, but since my symptoms were steadily worsening, I stayed near the back in my mask, and as it got crowded I decided to listen from the street.

The Nth Power & Friends – Earth, Wind & Power – Republic NOLA – 5/6/22

Immediately following Earth, Wind & Power, I made the same choice down the block at The Howlin’ Wolf, to listen to Dr. Klaw from the sidewalk by the side door of the venue. Bittersweet, as the Klaw blends members of Dumpstaphunk and Lettuce in a gritty, pulverizing funk combo that remains among my favorite Jazz Fest traditions. Dr. Klaw even busted out a couple new joints, promising that a long-awaited album is in the works.

Saturday’s Fairgrounds lineup was irresistible, but my body was telling me to stay put. I decided to try to tough it out for two of my favorites who were playing at the same time, the diasporic, intergenerational of New Orleans Klezmer Allstars on the Lagniappe Stage, and my dearly beloved Erykah Badu at Congo Square stage. I did my best to grin and bear it, but the foreboding feelings of oncoming COVID-19 got in the way of my having a good time.

New Orleans Klezmer All Stars – Jazz Fest (Lagniappe Stage) – 5/7/22

[Video: Nunupics Zomot]

Shortly thereafter, another rapid test finally made it official, and my Jazz Fest 2022 ground to a rather unceremonious close: four days and nights alone in a hotel while the best party in the world raged onward.

Like George Porter Jr. himself, I too was forced to miss the big Poppa Funk & The Nite Tripper threauxdown at The Fillmore on Saturday night. Equally disappointing was skipping Toubab Krewe at d.b.a., the annual Dumpsta Fiya rager at Maison late on Saturday. So was missing out on the always-incredible “Sacred Sunday” at the Fairgrounds, on Mother’s Day with my mom, no less. Ouch! Plus, the traditional FrequiNOT at d.b.a. on Sunday night, and maybe my most anticipated show each and every Jazz Fest, The Nth Power‘s ‘The Last Hoorah” at Blue Nile on the Monday after fest concludes.

The Nth Power – Blue Nile – 5/9/22

Unfortunately, the beignet crumbled in a different direction this year.  While I was initially quite depressed by the development and allowed it to sour my perspective for several days, I’ve come to terms with the fact that it happened the way it did. To quote Mac Miller quoting Kurt Vonnegut, “so it goes.”

I’d like to thank all my fantastic friends who did their best to help me in numerous ways while I recuperated in your fair city. Thanks for the food, the tea, the meds, the vibes, the conversations on the curb, and all the prayers. I ended up having a relatively mellow COVID-19 experience, and am grateful I was mostly spared from the horrors this disease can deliver.

Thank you to the great city of New Orleans for battling back, to the people for once again opening up your hearts and soul to all of us weary, wary music maniacs who so deeply missed our annual pilgrimage. Things done changed, sure, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. Please accept a deep bow for your ever-wonderful hospitality and unparalleled spirit.

Jah-willing, next year in New Orleans.

words: B.Getz