2012 Jazz & Heritage Festival

Jazz Fest Minutes: 'One Mo’ Time' With Actor Vernel Bagneris

Fred Kasten — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:29:17 +0000

Allison Miner's Spirit Lives On In The Jazz & Heritage Festival Stage Named For Her

Eve Abrams — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:55:00 +0000

When the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival first began in 1969, it was radical. Here in the South, still reeling from the Civil Rights movement and race integration, the festivals’ founders — Quint Davis, George Wein, and Allison Miner — created a safe space for New Orleanians to come together, to hear each others’ music and to party — together. Eve Abrams brings us this profile of Allison Miner, a titan in New Orleans music, and the only person with a Jazz Fest stage named for her.

Jazz Fest Food: New Tastes For 2013

Maureen McMurray — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:51:41 +0000

On average, Jazz Fest adds $300 million to the local economy and is expected to draw nearly half a million attendees this year.

And all of those people need to be fed.

Feeding the Fest in Overtime

Ian McNulty — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Listen

New Orleans, La. – The procedure for ordering at Jazz Fest food booths is pretty straightforward: you name your dish and fork over cash. At some booths, however, it's common for festival-goers to try to make dinner reservations too. Among the 60-odd food vendors who provide the rightfully famous food at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival each year, a handful of the vendors you see out at the Fair Grounds also run standalone eateries.

Jazz Fest Minutes: Words and Music with Donald Harrison, Jr.

Fred Kasten — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Saxophonist, composer and Mardi Gras Indian Chief Donald Harrison, Jr. started learning about Mardi Gras Indian culture firsthand and early.

“The first time I put on a suit was at two years old for the Creole Wild West," Harrison said. I was a little chief of the Creole Wild West. I had on a dark blue and white suit my father made for me. I remember them running and going fast up and down in feathers, flying and singing.”

Jazz Fest Minutes: C.J. Chenier Keeps It Red Hot

Fred Kasten — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

C.J. Chenier is the son of Zydeco legend Clifton Chenier.

"I didn't know to what magnitude my dad's popularity was, but I knew he played music and because he played music I wanted to play music," Chenier said.

C.J. took a few piano lessons, messed around with guitar a little bit, and by the fourth grade was ready to try a horn.

Jazz Fest Minutes: A Conversation With Dianne Reeves

Fred Kasten — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Dianne Reeves is one of the finest jazz singers on the planet. Born in Detroit, she grew up in Denver in a family full of musicians.

"There's a lot of musicians in my family," Reeves said. "My uncle is a bassist and he was with the symphony for many years, as well as a jazz bassist. A couple of great aunts were performers, and then I have another cousin who actually produced a lot of my records, George Duke. So music was very much part of the family."

Fair Grounds Getting Ready For Infield Derby Festival and Jazz Fest

Eileen Fleming — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

The infield of the Fair Grounds is getting ready for a festival, but it’s not the one you may imagine.

2013 Jazz Fest Tickets Contest Rules

WWNO Staff — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 05:45:55 +0000

Contest Rules

Tradition and Sunshine Close Out Jazz Fest

The Associated Press — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:07:03 +0000

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Neville Brothers carried on the tradition of closing out the big stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The Funky Meters, regulars at the fest since 1989, were back, and festival creator George Wein were scheduled to play with an all-star cast at the Preservation Hall and Friends 50th Anniversary Celebration.

That was Sunday's big nod to tradition.

The closing day lineup also included Bonnie Raitt, the Foo Fighters and the Rebirth Brass Band as part of the more than 60 groups performing on 11 stages.