Myusic in My Mind

Fun day in New Orleans. I didn’t see every great band that played today, but I definitely saw whole bunch of bands worth mentioning. First up was Marc Broussard. He’s got that great, soulful white-guy voice that was super popular in the 80′s. My buddy suggested he should go on tour with Marc Cohn and Michael McDonald. Unfortunately, he came around much later than that and probably missed his chance to be huge. Regardless, he sounded good. Strong start, though not particularly memorable.

Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys

From there, after walking around a bit, I happened upon Amanda Shaw. Now, if you haven’t heard this girl play the fiddle, you’re missing out. We caught a few of her songs, including a sick instrumental and a crowd-pleasing take on “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Charlie Daniels would have been proud.

From there, I headed over to the Congo Stage to check out Henry Butler. Let me tell you, this guy played the original JazzFest 40 years ago and he’s still got it. He pounded the keys, while his guitarist threw out blues riffs. Definitely felt to me like one of the more authentic New Orleans experiences I could have asked for. Very quality stuff.

After that, we caught the Drive-By Truckers set with Booker T. We’ll call that two shows in one. With Booker T, they jammed out on blues numbers, sticking mostly with instrumentals. They all know how to play their instruments, but I would have preferred to hear more original stuff from this distinctive band. It was an honor and a huge checkmark to have seen Booker T play, but I almost wish he’d just had his own show without DBT. Once Booker T left, DBT played their standard show, high energy and passionate. As always, they were at their best when they mixed things around, spreading the vocals and solos throughout the band. Good stuff.

Sadly, the good times at DBT meant that I missed Trombone Shorty. I’m not pleased, but when the schedule lines up as it did, there’s little you can do.

From there, I went on a four-stage marathon that I will not soon forget. First off, I saw Wynton Marsalis lead his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Got to tell you, I didn’t need to fly to New Orleans to sit and watch Marsalis’s back as he conducted his big-band. As far as I can tell, he didn’t play a note. They were great, no doubt, but with time precious, I had to move on. Plus, I live only 24 blocks from where they regularly play!

Terrence Simien & the Zydeco Experience

Next up was an amazing highlight. If you ever have the opportunity to see Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, do it! Simien is a bandleader, a crooner, a showman and he will get you moving your ass. Plus, he and his band turned in a gorgeous rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman.” Outstanding stuff.

Next up was Spoon. I only caught three of their songs, but fortunately, two of them were ones I knew. Got to tell you, it’s very hard to go from an ultra-talented zydeco band to an indie rock band. Spoon is a good band, don’t get me wrong, but they couldn’t really stand up in comparison.

Finally, I caught the end of Joe Cocker’s set. He was the Day One headliner and definitely still “has it.” Cocker belts with the best of them and you always get the feeling that those notes are coming out with the help of his toes, hips, gut and spleen. Cocker closed out the day with a sweet rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long as I Can See the Light.” Fittingly, as Cocker walked off the stage, the light was beginning to fade as well. Time to go, plenty more tomorrow.