JAZZ FEST 2015

 

According to the official Jazz Fest website, "The Festival celebrates the indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana, so the music encompasses every style associated with the city and the state: blues, R&B, gospel music, Cajun music, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk music, Latin, rock, rap music, country music, bluegrass and everything in between. And of course there is lots of jazz, both contemporary and traditional." 

Jazz Fest is currently held during the day, between the hours of 11am and 7pm, at the Fair Grounds Race Course, a horse racing track located in historic Mid-City. Each year, it is held on the last weekend of April (Friday-Sunday) and the first weekend of May (Thursday-Sunday). For two years following Hurricane Katrina, the second weekend was Friday through Sunday only, but the Thursday was restored in 2008.

Even more music events than usual take place around the city during Jazz Fest weekends and also throughout the week in between. The Festival is a major tourismdestination, with an importance for New Orleans rivaled only by Mardi Gras. The event earns the local economy $300 million annually.

Early Jazz Fests featured almost exclusively local acts; as the Festival's popularity grew, the event expanded to include more nationally known acts. 

 

RELEVANT LINKS:

 

ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE

 

JAZZ FEST OFFICIAL WEBSITE

 

 

THE LINE-UP

• ELTON JOHN

• THE WHO

• JIMMY BUFFETT AND THE CORAL REEFER BAND

• TONY BENNETT & LADY GAGA

• NO DOUBT

• KEITH URBAN

• PITBULL

• JOHN LEGEND

• ED SHEERAN

• T. I.

• CHICAGO

• TROMBONE SHORTY AND ORLEANS AVENUE

• HOZIER

• WIDESPREAD PANIC

• JERRY LEE LEWIS

• RYAN ADAMS

• STEVE WINWOOD

• WILCO

• THE METERS: ART NEVILLE, LEO NOCENTELLI, GEORGE PORTER, JR., & JOSEPH “ZIGABOO” MODELISTE

• JIMMY CLIFF

• BUDDY GUY

• ALLEN TOUSSAINT

• THE O'JAYS

• IRMA THOMAS

• TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND

• ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION

• SPIRIT OF SATCH: DR. JOHN INTERPRETS LOUIS ARMSTRONG

• THE RADIATORS

• ANTHONY HAMILTON

• KACEY MUSGRAVES

• ROBERT CRAY

• SHOVELS & ROPE

• IVAN NEVILLE’S DUMPSTAPHUNK WITH GUEST ART NEVILLE

• THIRD WORLD

• AARON NEVILLE

• DELBERT MCCLINTON

• ANGELIQUE KIDJO

• THE TAJ MAHAL TRIO

• ESTELLE

• MAZE FEATURING FRANKIE BEVERLY

• TAB BENOIT

• CASSANDRA WILSON COMING FORTH BY DAY: A CELEBRATION OF BILLIE HOLIDAY

• SHIRLEY CAESAR

• CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET

• JUVENILE & MANNIE FRESH TOGETHER

• MARCIA BALL

• KERMIT RUFFINS & THE BBQ SWINGERS

• THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

• BIG FREEDIA “QUEEN OF BOUNCE”

• JIMMIE VAUGHAN & TILT A WHIRL BAND FEAT. LOU ANN BARTON

• GURRUMUL

• PALOMA FAITH

• GALACTIC FEATURING MACY GRAY

• REBIRTH BRASS BAND

• ANDERS OSBORNE

• THE WORD

• PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

• JOHN P. KEE AND NEW LIFE

• CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND WITH SPECIAL GUESTS DIANNE REEVES AND JEFFREY OSBORNE

• IRVIN MAYFIELD & THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ ORCHESTRA

• PASTOR MARVIN SAPP

• THE TERENCE BLANCHARD E-COLLECTIVE

• STURGILL SIMPSON

• BWB FEATURING RICK BRAUN, KIRK WHALUM & NORMAN BROWN

• VINTAGE TROUBLE

• SHOOTER JENNINGS WITH WAYMORE’S OUTLAWS

• CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT

• BÉLA FLECK AND ABIGAIL WASHBURN

• DAVELL CRAWFORD PRESENTS “TO FATS WITH LOVE” A TRIBUTE TO FATS DOMINO

• LÁGBÁJÁ

• BIG CHIEF BO DOLLIS & THE WILD MAGNOLIAS

• BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO

• LIL' ED AND THE BLUES IMPERIALS

• BIG SAM'S FUNKY NATION

• JON CLEARY AND THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN

• LUKE JAMES

• DONALD HARRISON JR.

• GLEN DAVID ANDREWS

• LA SANTA CECILIA

• WALTER “WOLFMAN” WASHINGTON & THE ROADMASTERS

• MONTY ALEXANDER: HARLEM-KINGSTON EXPRESS

• ELLIS MARSALIS

• COWBOY MOUTH

• KENNY GARRETT

• VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ

• ROYAL TEETH

• MS. RUBY WILSON’S TRIBUTE TO BESSIE SMITH FEAT. BRIAN “BREEZE” CAYOLLE

• IRONING BOARD SAM

• AMANDA SHIRES

• PINE LEAF BOYS: LOUISIANA MUSIC

• ROCKIN’ DOPSIE, JR. & THE ZYDECO TWISTERS

• SNARKY PUPPY

• THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND

• THE REVIVALISTS

• CAROLYN WONDERLAND

• CREOLE STRING BEANS

• THE NEW ORLEANS SUSPECTS

• EAGLE AND HAWK

• NICHOLAS PAYTON

• HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND

• THE SOUL REBELS

• BUTLER, BERNSTEIN & THE HOT 9

• JEWEL BROWN WITH GREGG STAFFORD’S JAZZ HOUNDS

• BIG CHIEF WALTER COOK & THE CREOLE WILD WEST MARDI GRAS INDIANS

• BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX & THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• YOUNG GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME

• WHITE CLOUD HUNTERS MARDI GRAS INDIANS

• YOUNG MEN OLYMPIA AID SA & PC

• DIVINE LADIES SA & PC

• BIG FOUR AND ORIGINAL FOUR SA & PC

• MORNING STAR MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH MASS CHOIR

• THE SENSATIONAL CHOSEN VOICES

• ROSIE LEDET & THE ZYDECO PLAYBOYS

• OTTERTRAIL NATIVE AMERICAN DANCE TROUPE

• RISING DRAGON LION DANCE TEAM

• CALLIOPE PUPPETS