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Wilco, Taylor and Seeger kick off
fortieth birthday bash with a bang

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Fair Grounds Race Course
New Orleans, LA
April 26, 2009

Pete Fountain

Wilco

Tao Rodriguez Seeger

Story by Andy Argyrakis & Mike Kane
Photos by Andy Argyrakis

With forty years of history to its name, New Orleans' famed Jazz & Heritage Festival is one of the country's most heralded and respected musical celebrations of all time. Though every year is jam packed with superstars of all styles, the first weekend kicked off with a bang thanks to a mixture of major marquee names, seminal singer/songwriters and loads of local favorites. Add in some culture, cooking, plus tons of contained craziness, and there was literally some sort of engaging entertainment for everyone.

Though he may be a bit mellow on record and during the acoustic portions of his concerts, timeless troubadour James Taylor was backed by a full band and injected a party-styled atmosphere into the more upbeat selections from his treasured catalogue. After the easygoing selections "Sweet Baby James," "Fire and Rain" and "Shower the People," Taylor and his soulful backers kicked up some jazzy dust come "Your Smiling Face" and the ultimate sing-a-long "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)."

Across the mammoth field, Wilco co-headlined the first weekend with an overflowing crowd that confirmed the indie rockers' reach spans well beyond the Windy City. These days, the Jeff Tweedy-led troupe is touring in support of its latest DVD Ashes of American Flags (Nonesuch), which was culled from a recent tour of deep cuts inspired by 2008's residency at Chicago's intimate Riviera Theatre. Of course, the Jazz & Heritage Festival crowd was infinitely more massive in comparison, but the guys still stuck to a compelling blend of rarities and underground radio singles.

In old school contexts, 89-year-old folk hero Pete Seeger was certainly a standout, appearing with his grandson Tao Rodriguez Seeger, plus the organic duo Mike & Ruthy. Even though the acoustic guitar and banjo strums were quaint in comparison to the amplified evening, the throngs of onlookers served as a mighty backing chorus come the classics "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)" and "We Shall Overcome." Considering Bruce Springsteen took the exact same stage post-Hurricane Katrina to offer a tribute to Seeger, it was only fitting for the actual artist to appear in all his glory for this fortieth anniversary extravaganza.

A New Orleans festival couldn't be complete without soul siren Irma Thomas, who once again delighted with well preserved pipes and one of the funkiest backing bands on her side of the Mississippi. The Rebirth Brass Band also brought on its husky horns, while jazz giant Pete Fountain shared the esteem distinction of not only playing at this very first undertaking, but during all forty to date!

Besides just the music, the grounds were bustling with everything from chefs offering up culinary suggestions to displays of vibrant costumes and various exhibits chronicling the event's history thus far. And if opening weekend of this monumental birthday party was any indication of its ability to thrive, it's a definite bet that the Jazz & Heritage Festival's lifespan will last at least another forty years.

The second weekend of New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival kicks off at Fair Grounds Race Course Thursday, April 30-Sunday, May 3 with performance schedules and full event details at www.nojazzfest.com.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2008
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2007
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2006