Jazz Fest sights and sounds

We spent the entire day at Jazz Fest and let me speak highly here of the Ergobaby – with its head flap, Tin was able to take two long naps as the flap provides a magic blanket environment and takes the stimuli away. We saw Kent Jordan in the Jazz Tent, then Big Al Carson in the Blues Tent, then we went to hear Astral Project and although I was prepared to sit for the entire show, Tin was restless and wanting to run. The guy who sat next to me was a doll and said that he owned a liquor store in Colorado and when Tin grows up, he can come run it for him. Ha!

Then we happened upon the Fleur de Ladies Brass Band and that was a sight to behold – the one and only ladies brass band to play at Jazz Fest. They were lots of fun and closed with of all things – Valerie, which they dubbed Ba aa by.

Then we caught the subdudes as we found a spot in back of Gentilly on the grass where we sat down and Tin took a nap and then I too took a nap as Jose Feliciano took the stage and did a cover of Purple Haze.

Then we headed back for our Martinique fix to the Chouval Bwa of Martinique – the Creole Carousel. Made of wood, operated manually, and accompanied by a live orchestra. I got a guy to take a movie of Tin and I riding it, and you can see his girlfriend who is riding waving in the beginning. It is foot powered and once the guy gets going the carousel and the music really pick up speed!

In a bathroom interlude we caught Kristin Diable at the Lagniappe and two songs of Elvis Perkins in Dearland – both worth a stop. We headed back to Gentilly to hear Gypsy Kings but then I realized I had left my backpack at the carousel, so we just heard one song and had to leave. Aretha Frankin cancelled because of the oil spill, citing that the potential chemicals in the air might affect her voice, and so Earth Wind and Fire were kind enough to take her place – if you have been following my blog or were at Jazz Fest last year, you know they were terrific. So we ended up stopping to dance one song with them.

In the end, a fabulous day – the sky was overcast and so it was good weather and Tin ate crawfish bisque from Dizzy’s, and crawfish bread from Panorama. Can’t beat it with a stick.

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