Why would a non-Jazz fan be excited about, and show up to spend a bunch of cold hard cash at a Jazz Festival . . . or in my case Festivals . . .plural? Simple – jazz festivals are rarely only about pure jazz – or what I think of as pure – 3 or 4 guys working an endless jam with few vocals and definitely no dancing. While I respect the tradition and the complexity, it’s not my style. I like more fun, more vocals, more guitar and definitely more dancing. I love the music that grew from jazz roots, which covers pretty much all music actually, but I’ll stick to some direct offshoots – blues, Americana and a whole lot of great music that doesn’t fit neatly into any category other than great (well at least on my playlists).
Here’s my personal lineup for the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, a ten day musical extravaganza crossing multiple genres and tastes at both ticketed venues and free outdoor events all across Vancouver.
Kicking things off right I was lucky enough to score some sweet free tickets to see the Dirty Projectors on Friday night. This is a very different band for me, but since it’s free, I’m going to check out their weird and hopefully wonderful synth/indie pop. Friday, June 23, 2018 at the Vogue Theatre.
I cannot wait to see the sublime guitarist Nels Cline, who performs with drummer extraordinaire Scott Amendola as Stretch Woven. This is Nels Cline’s side gig from his day job as Wilco’s guitarist. His guitar solo on Impossible Germany is maybe one of the best . . . ever. If he plays this and I get to see it live, I can truly die a happy woman. Saturday June 23, 2018 at The Ironworks Studios on Granville Island.
Another talented female vocalist will be gracing the small, intimate stage at Capilano University as part of the North Shore Jazz Series. Eileen Jewell sings Americana, blues, North American folk/tradition. I fell in love with her Alt-Southern, New Orleans blues style “It’s Your Voodoo Working” the first time I heard it. Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at CapU
I don’t have enough words to describe how much I love St Paul and the Broken Bones. Amazing musicians, amazing performance, amazing show. I caught them at the Joy Theatre (a fabulous new venue on Canal St) during this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (another Jazzfest for people who don’t only love jazz – but that’s a whole other story!). It was one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen and good enough that I almost missed the call for Day 1 of Jazzfest! Check out this acoustic set from NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and then image it electrified, on a big stage, late at night, with drinks. Yah, you got that. Don’t miss them. Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at the Vogue Theatre. Holy crap they will blow the dust outta those old bricks!
Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters are on my wish list. Like I wish my musical fairy godmother magically gifted me one of the $200 tickets. Coz that’s outta my price range. I try to keep it around $25 and will stretch it to $50, but I’m not ponying up $200 clams, especially at the staid, sit down Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Great acoustics, but boring as. I saw Mr. Plant and his Shape Shifters at the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY a few years ago. They were fantastic. The performance was halted and the grounds evacuated for rain, hail and tornados (seriously, you can’t make that up) so I’ve always wanted to see the end of the set. If this is your one show and you want to spend the whole budget on it, definitely worth seeing. It’s not a nostalgia act, the music is new and relevant, his voice holds up and I love how he owns every line on his face. He earned every single one! Like I said, wishing for the fairy godmother of tickets to drop on by!! Friday, June 29 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Wrapping up my ticketed events is Jerry Douglas, Dobro master and multiple Grammy award winner. I’m expecting a free wheeling show that covers everything from bluegrass through rock and jazz to blues and maybe some Celtic. Yah, that’s what happens at Jazzfest’s, amazing musician’s that just don’t fit neatly into an FM radio category! I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday night. Saturday, June 30, 2018 at the Vogue Theatre.
And if you want to try a sampling of everything on offer, but don’t have budget for multiple ticketed events, catch one of the free outdoor shows: Downtown Jazz at the Art Gallery , or the Granville Island or North Shore series. And of course, David Lam Park on Canada Day is a Vancouver tradition not to be missed.
Grab a friend, or just show up and make new ones; there is so much fabulous music to experience over the next 10 days, get out and enjoy it all, because . . .
Reblogged from GoNola.co. This deserves a post all of its own, because Crawfish Monica is so fantastic and, as I’ve personally discovered, it is one of the best hangover foods ever invented. A bowl of that delicious, creamy, crawfish mac n’ cheese with a giant strawberry lemonade will get you back on your feet at Jazzfest, no matter how outrageous last night’s antics. You have my personal guarantee!
And whether or not you’ll be in New Orleans to try this divine creation at Jazz Fest, now you can have it whenever your heart desires with this recipe from New Orleans super chef Emeril Legasse. You’re welcome.
Crawfish Monica (Photo from Flickr by muckster)
Ingredients:
1 pound linguine or fettucine, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup chopped yellow onions, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons Essence (recipe follows), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 pound crawfish tails*, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, 1 cup grated Parmesan.
Preparation
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to the pot and toss with the olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.
In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated. Add the cream lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the crawfish tails and cook, stirring, to warm through. Add the onions and parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve.
*Peeled medium shrimp can be substituted, but the cooking time must be increased to allow thorough cooking.
Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
Whoever invented 6:30am flights, especially those coming out of PartyTowns, has obviously never had to actually make one of those flights – or they don’t party – or both. It was a Tuesday, we were heading home after 7 days in New Orleans, and we had to get up at a time we had been going to bed for the last week. It wasn’t pretty, but we had earned it in fun ten times over!! A trip to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is an incredible experience, but it’s not for the faint of heart or weak of liver. When we arrived in NOLA one week earlier, we could not have imagined what the next 7 days had in store for us: heat and sweat, music, heat and sweat, alcohol, music, more heat, more sweat, more music, more alcohol . .you get the picture. Oh, did I forget to mention that N’Awlins is one of the most gorgeous, fascinating, enchanting, romantic cities I have ever visited? There is nothing like it anywhere. Go there. Do it. You won’t regret it.
Highlights of our week . . .well there were no lowlights, but if I had to pick they would be: the free concert in Lafayette Park, fried chicken at Coop’s, street drinking on Frenchman’s on a Sunday night, Royal Street, Grace Potter at the House of Blues, the Gospel tent, Rock n’ Bowl, Hurricanes at Pat O’s, Trombone Shorty and the Foo Fighters – and that’s just hitting the top 10.
Romantic N’Awlins
NOLA is a city devoted to really, really good music and really, really good times. I realized somewhere around day 5 that I hadn’t heard a single piece of Top 40, autotuned rubbish since we arrived. Instead it had been a non-stop feast of fabulous and innovative music. Our first full day in town we spent wandering the Quarter where we came across buskers playing banjo, washboard and saw (yup, the one you get from the hardware store) with a fiddle. It was mesmerizing. We should have been our first clue about what our week had in store for us.
It was a fantastic revelation when we pieced together that Jazzfest runs from 11am to 7pm, that NOLA is a city with endless live music venues and no sense of time . . .and there are extra shows to see all night, any night. So you don’t have to try to see everyone at Jazzfest, you can see them later that night! And there is no way to see everyone you want to see at the festival. There are 12 stages and tents, all with music playing constantly, the racetrack is really big and it’s hot. Did I say it’s hot . . .it’s really hot. And sweaty. All the time. Note to self – don’t go without a hat!!
Loved the Fais Do Do StageThe good Lord saw fit to bless the Gospel tent with shade, a cool breeze and amazing gospel choirs.
Mi amore asked for a set list of everyone we saw at JF – memories dim fast he said – so here is my best shot:
Wednesday: Our bartender at Pat O’s on Tuesday night, he of the killer Hurricanes and Pousse Cafes . . . .
Nothin’ but trouble
told us we had to go see the free concert in Lafayette Square on Wednesday – it’s a regular locals event and gets even more fun during JF. It was a great tip. We saw the Pinettes, an amazing all-girl brass band and local jazz vocalist Marcia Ball, who brought out Maria Muldaur to sing back up, all for free in a beautiful outdoor park with lots of Abita’s , the local beer. Purple Haze – how could I not drink a bucket full of those! And we met some great folks including Boudreau, a true to life Cajun who hailed from 30 miles south of NOLA. I had to check, I didn’t know there was anything south of there, but there is, but it’s the bayou.
Thursday: Seva Venet and the Storyville String Band with etouffee for breakfast, Glen Hansard (of Swell Season, a true Irish balladeer), Little Freddie King Blues Band, Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Cowboys, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk and to round out the evening, Florence and the Machine. And this is locals day, it’s a fantastic day to meet locals, including bus loads of school kids and enjoy the fest without the weekend crowds – loved it!.
We left a bit early because we had tickets to see the amazing Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at House of Blues that night . . .it’s all about decisions, ya’ll. HOB was packed, but we were second row for my first Gracie show. It was a magical night.
Friday: Crescent City Jazz Band playing ” Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” . I knew right there I would never forget it. Fried green tomatoes and crab stuffed shrimp for breakfast with a Parasol Parade? More NOLA magic. Big Al Carson and the Blues Masters – wow, Big Al is BIG!! We had already seen Marcia Ball and were in agreement that one of the best things about festivals is seeing the acts you don’t know (not the big names you do) so we skipped Bruce Hornsby and had the total pleasure of seeing the legendary Wanda Rouzan, the Sweetheart of New Orleans. Best part – this 70 ish lady called out publicly some of the headliners for leaving the stage early – little known names like Cee Lo Green and Bruce Springsteen. Apparently it was too hot for them, but not a lady in her 70’s. What a pistol. There’s a bit of a gap in the afternoon schedule (and my memory) – we had a Smaltimore moment at the Heritage Stage and there were more than a few frozen daiquiri’s involved. Festival shenanigans!
Was there anyone left in Baltimore, or were they all in NOLA?Double fisting . .no good reason, just because I could.
Got it together enough to wander on over to the Gentilly Stage to see the incredible Rodrigo y Gabriela, stunning guitarists from Mexico, who provided more magic as the sun was going down. At some point during the day the ticket maestro in our duo managed the feat of scoring tickets, by smartphone, to see one of the hottest acts in NOLA – Trombone Shorty. Home, cold shower, dinner (oh wait, we forgot that part . . .thank god for Lucky Dogs!!!) quick stop at Pat O’s for a Hurricane (yup, that was really necessary) and we were at the Mahalia Jackson Centre for the Performing Arts. Wow, wow, wow. Trombone Shorty quite literally, rocked it. If you get a chance to see him, DO IT.
Saturday: REST DAY!!!! I got tired all over again just writing this. After Bloody Mary’s at Cafe Beignet, it was back to the pool for a well-earned day of rest. Fantastic. We needed it.
Beignets and Bloody Marys
Saturday night was a show-stopper, beginning with oysters at Oceana, meeting Robert, our taxi driver cum actor from Treme on our way to Rock n’Bowl, through to closing Tipitinas. Imagine a bowling alley with a live music venue, twinkly lights and people of all ages dancing and enjoying the southern way of life. The magic of Rock n’ Bowl. On the musical bill – the Iguanas, Kermit Ruffins and hmmm, there was another zydeco band, but it got a wee bit fuzzy. Must have been that time in the Ping Pong room – that’s right, it had a Ping Pong room as well, a great place to take some quality time away from the crowds!!
Rock n Bowl “I love the south, I want to live there”.
Oh my, goosebumps all over. I really love the south.
Our final stop of the night was Tipitina’s uptown. It’s something of a badge of honour (or maybe shame?) to make the 2am Galactic show there during JF. Well we did it. We had one fallen soldier, but 3 of us managed to close Tipitina’s down sometime around 4am and had another Lucky Dog stop on the way home. Some people go to NOLA for the food, we went for the music and occasionally remembered to eat! This is a great Galactic video from Jazzfest because you get Trombone Shorty and the Indian costumes at the same time.
Sunday: I’m not even going to try to pretend that Sunday morning was anything but nasty, but we manned up and were back at the track for our last day of JF just after noon. Well done us. Pails of frozen strawberry lemonade and a local Mac n’ Cheese with crawfish concoction called Crawfish Monica got us back on our feet. We only saw one show that day, but it was a 2 hour marathon of Foo Fighter awesomeness.
Foo’s homage to Freddy. Great shot!
I was totally blown away, it was one of the best shows I have ever seen, anywhere. Many years from now I will remember that show and the magic of that afternoon. I get goosebumps every time I listen to this.
Nothing further was really needed, but in a surfeit of incredible memories, listening to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band closing out the festival as we made our way off the grounds was, simply, perfect. Starving and exhausted, we did the only sensible thing and headed for Coop’s, our favourite dive bar on Frenchman’s Street for fried chicken and Chicken Tchoupitoulas (that’s gravy NOT sauce!). You know it’s a real dive bar when you offer to pay the bartender $5 to throw out those annoying frat boys and he says “no thanks, I’d love to do it for free”. Well played! After dinner we headed to d.b.a for some sippin’ beers, the really good ones that you savour and of course more amazing music. The Tin Men: guitar, Washboard Chaz and a souzaphone playing Englebert Humperdinck. Only in NOLA.
Tinmen at d.b.a. on Frenchman’s Street
We met up with friends and rounded out the night doing some street drinking outside the Spotted Cat and Blue Nile. By anyone’s reckoning it was a full day. An amazing day, a day of lifelong memories. Colour me happy.
Our last day we spent taking in some tourist highlights. Chicory coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde to start the day; Preservation Hall and a historical tour of the 1st St Louis Cemetery where Marie Laveau the Voodoo Queen is buried – phenomenal.
Voodoo shop – and our tour guidesAnd right across St Peter’s St. is Preservation Hall – I just walked across the tiny street. A microcosm of New Orleans
Rode the St Charles Ave streetcar (I looked for a name, but didn’t see Desire anywhere!) to the Garden District to find Anne Rice’s house, the Lafayette #1 Cemetery and the stunning antebellum mansions nestled in among the magnolias. Stopped at Igor’s dive bar for a Bloody and then ran into friends enjoying happy hour at the Avenue Pub, with the best beer selection in NOLA.
Now that’s a beer selection
It seemed fitting to bookend our week with Peanut Butter Burgers at Yo Mama’s – we had burgers there about 1am on our first night in town – and with that we closed the circle on one of the best weeks of my life. Thanksbabe, you brought the magic.
Notes From Just Past Normal 