May 11, 2008 | Email | Feedback | Calendar | Archives
The first 10 cuts on the May Mix are JazzFest related. We did 5 out of 7 days, leaving us only one day to run around and buy coffee, spices and such. On that day we hit Louisiana Music Factory just as Eric Lindell was starting to play. The smartest thing we did this trip was spend 2 nights each at 3 friends' houses: Jinx & Peg, Aimee & Julie, and Melanie Miranda. That guaranteed us quality time to catch up with their lives. Cheryl and her six year old Nola were in from Sarasota the first weekend and we had a little biking adventure on the Tammany Trace. I love the way we just step easily back into the lives of these friends we've known for 30 years. Some good family time too at the beach and at my sister Colleen's house where we finished up the trip with a round of Popeye's extremely non-organic stuff.

Some surprises at Jazzfest. Trombone Shorty band's amazing energy and talent made Michael Franti's performance which followed it sort of pale by comparison. Ozomatli brought on some St. Aug band members for Magnolia Soul, but Terrance Simien was more satisfying. The performer from outside the New Orleans music bubble that did succeed was Ruthie Foster who had the blues tent jamming. Papa Mali played guitar with her.

We heard a whole lotta Boutte: John, Lillian, and Sister Teedy in separate performances. We heard Aaron Neville with a choir in the Gospel Tent. And there are so many great young brass bands.

Speaking of surprises, there was Tanya Williams stepping out into the aisle at Germaine Bazzle, and her very surprising news.

We missed seeing Ingrid Lucia, but I love this tourist video she did with Irvin Mayfield.
Melissa took these bird pics, one at the boardwalk over the marshes in Fontainebleau Park, one at the beach.

Back home in black fly season (a thousand points of bite) we are gardening with reckless abandon, reclaiming the space that was lost when the new leach field went in last fall, and adding two raspberry beds. Trees are just getting tiny leaves, daffodils are blooming, and that garish forsithia that some call "spring on a stick" is glowing in some dooryards.

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