Short read of the week: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. Nicely done.
On the April Mix I start you off with Joy, Peace, and Rapture. Mixed emotions after that, but here is light at the end. Kathleen Edwards new stuff is lyrically excellent and I like her unadorned reed of a voice.
Now that The Cubes are out for JazzFest (the shirt is called Nom de Plume) I can start plotting my strategy to hear as much as possible.
First priority is to see performers I've never seen live:
- First Friday: Ozomatli, Lizz Wright, Terrance Simien, Anders Osborne; 3 of whom are on at the same time. Sheryl Crow is a good close out choice too, love her new album, but I don't usually spend precious fest time on anyone that mainstream.
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First Saturday: Jon Cleary, Bobby Lounge, NewBirth Brass Band
- First Sunday: Voices of the Wetlands Allstars, Cassandra Wilson, Mamadou Diabate
- Thursday: A bit of Mem Shannon, then Johnny Sketch followed by Bonerama, Donald Harrison, Betty Lavette.
- Second Friday: Michael Franti! Another great back to back linup is Brett Dennen, Richard Thompson, John Butler Trio at the Gentilly stage, but I've recently seen the latter two, so I'll sample them and get to some John Boutte before I skip over to hear Trombone Shorty at Congo Square and set up for Michael Franti.
- Second Saturday: Lillian Boutte, Feufollet, Pine Leaf Boys, Don Vappie, Bobbie McFerrin and Chick Corea, Aaron Neville in the Gospel Tent, and most of all Ruthie Foster at the fest for the first time.
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Last Sunday: Galactic, Jonathan Batiste, Keb Mo, Abigail Washburn with Bela Fleck, Amanda Shaw, Wild Magnolias. There's a great Mahalia Jackson tribute in the Gospel Tent with Irma Thomas and Marva Wright.
I'm hoping other attendees will send me recommendations on what should be good.
I want to spend an afternoon and a hundred bucks in Louisiana Music Factory on things you can't buy anywhere else, Lillian Boutte for example. If it's true that Paul Soniat plays somewhere on Wednesday nights, I'd like hear him live.
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