New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Weekend 2: May 5-8, 2022
By Leslie Michele Derrough
Finally after two long years of being pent up inside with no live music to go to, the concerts are happening again, which means the big festivals are charging up. Just recently we’ve had Coachella in California and Shaky Knees in Atlanta, with BottleRock coming up in a few weeks, Bonnaroo in June and Essence Fest in July. But the big one that just took place over the past two weekends was the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It was seven days of music, food, crafts and culture as no other festival can claim to have as much diverse variety as Jazz Fest.
Weekend 1’s lineup included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, replacing the Foo Fighters following the untimely death of Taylor Hawkins, The Who, Lionel Richie, The Avett Brothers, Nelly, Bonerama, Jason Isbell, Asleep At The Wheel, Anders Osborne, Tab Benoit and Randy Newman.
Weekend 2 was even hotter, in more ways than one. After a rainy night on Thursday, the temps swelled and the humidity took over the next several days. And although both Melissa Etheridge and Willie Nelson pulled out, the music was on fire all weekend long.
Here are some BIG highlights:
The Black Crowes proved they still have it. With Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr playing with them in front of a packed to the back crowd, the Crowes just kicked ass. Chris Robinson’s voice is aging like good dirty whiskey and his harmonica solo on “Thorn In My Pride” was smoking hot. Add in all the sweet slide moves Starr put on his guitar, this was, in my humble opinion, THE best set of Jazz Fest.
Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real pulled in a close second to the Crowes with their energetic set on the Gentilly Stage on Sunday afternoon. They got rowdy, they got sentimental, went traditional and rocked up country. This band is in top form every day of the week.
The Revivalists tore up the stage with their set on Saturday, following Samantha Fish to create a one-two punch of rocking at it’s most fun. A blend of funk and rock, Dave Shaw and company did not have a hard time coaxing out a dancing fever in the crowd with “All My Friends,” “Criminal” and their tribute to Taylor Hawkins, “Times Like These/Hero.”
Samantha Fish brought her guitar licks and black & white stripped outfit to the main Festival Stage on Saturday. Quickly becoming a Fest favorite, she has gotten better and better with each performance, rousing up an early afternoon crowd with “All Ice No Whiskey,” “Bulletproof” and “No Angels.” And if you haven’t checked out her drummer Sarah Tomek, you’re missing a rocking tornado of a drummer.
Chris Isaak was a smooth operator with his vocals and the comedian of the day in-between songs on Friday, cracking jokes with a coolness not common in music today. Dressed in a light blue sequined suit, he pulled off heartbreaking love songs and lively be-bops in a sweltering heat. “Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing,” “Wicked Game,” “Somebody’s Crying” and “Only The Lonely” melted hearts just as much as the sun above them.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue have been nothing but incredible since they took over the Neville Brothers traditional closing of Jazz Fest spot. Firing up the crowd from the moment the band took the stage, Troy Andrews and his band just sizzled long and hard to end Jazz Fest with an A+ set.
Other Fun & Interesting moments:
Jonathon Long taking the blues to new horizons on Thursday.
A double-dose of Elvis Costello: on Thursday joining the Dirty Dozen Brass Band in their tribute to longtime Fats Domino musical partner, Dave Bartholomew, and in his own headlining set fashioned out in a leopard print jacket with the Imposters.
Bettye LaVette showing what a classy lady she is at 76 in the Blues Tent on Thursday.
Country singer Luke Combs letting loose headlining the main Festival stage on Thursday with “My Kinda Folk,” “Brand New Man” and “Lovin’ On You.”
The Cowsills bringing back good vibes via their folky-rock reminiscent of the carefree days of innocent youth with “Hair” and “Love, American Style,” and touching on the pulse of the current world with “Nuclear Winter.”
And the incredible soul lady Erica Falls, a fan favorite on the Congo Square stage, belting out “Let’s Get Down Tonight.”
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