Day 33 – May 5^th

Without music, life would be a mistake. Friedrich Nietsche

I have been coughing and spluttering all night. I think the ghost from the other night has given me a cold. Great, a cold for the flight back home. That’s gunna be fun.

I got out to the festival around noon. I started the festival with a Yaka Mein and I am finishing off with a Yaka Mein for the last day as well

I mentioned in an earlier post that the 50^th anniversary t-shirt I fancied had sold-out. I checked back at one of the merchandise stalls on the off-chance that they may have restocked. They have, and I have another t-shirt to add to the small collection I have back home. There is a large marquee at the festival that sells live recording of many of the artists performances over the years (including this year). I knew that Los Lobos had been recorded the other day and so I picked myself up a copy of their set.

I went over to Gentilly to watch *Jon Cleary and his Absolute Monster Gentleman. Jon and band always put on a first class show The weather is bearable, a little overcast with a cooling breeze every now and then. Looks like today is going to be busy (punter wise) the track around the Gentilly stage is already packed with seats. To be honest I feel pretty crook, as the cold takes hold, I am determined to hang in as long as I can for this last day of music in New Orleans, before I head home on Wednesday.

*’Since moving over from the UK in the 80’s, Cleary has earned a place in the front-line of New Orleans blues singers and keyboardists. He won a Grammy Award for his CD GoGo Juice. At the 2018 Best of the Beat awards, Jon Cleary was named Songwriter of the year and Best Pianist.’ – Offbeat Jazz Bible

Next on the bill, and again on Gentilly, is *Little Feat. They started about 10 minutes late, which is frustrating as they can’t make up time at the end. It would not be fair on other artists.. The played a number of hits including, ‘Oh Atlanta’, ‘Fat Man In The Bathtub’, ‘Dixie Chicken’ (with guest Popa John Gros), and ‘Feats Don’t Fail Me Now’. I enjoyed the set but I thought they lacked some punch and jammed too long on their songs. Still I am glad I saw them again. It had been a while. The early 70’s at Festival Hall from (hazy) memory.

*Formed by the late Lowell George just after Frank Zappa sacked him for drug use, Little Feat had some of the most fluid jams and quirkiest songwriting in the 70’s. All four living members of the classic line-up are still aboard (they’ve lost Lowell George and drummer Richie Hayward), having shed a couple of later-day singers they’re are largely back to the vintage sound and material.’ – Offbeat Jazz Bible

I may get castigated, but I headed home at 5pm after Little Feat. I wanted to stay at Gentilly for John Fogarty and then some of Buddy Guy at the Blues Tent, to round out the 2019 Jazz Fest. I just feel to sick to stay. Another Jazz Fest under the belt. It has been good even with all the disappointments of the changes to the original line-up announcement. Maybe I will be back next year, I know Wendy is keen, my health is giving me the shits. I am just so God damn tired all the time.

Day Thirty-Two – May 4^th

For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three. Alice Khan

There has been a heavy Thunderstorm overnight. It is still raining when I get up. At eleven o’clock the Jazz Fest people have sent out word that today’s opening will be delayed until 12:30. More depressing news, there is another major Thunderstorm due around 4:00 pm. I made an executive decision (Captain’s call) to not got to the Fest today. My decision was to some degree based on the predicted storm but also to the fact that John Prine would not be closing out the days music in the Blues Tent (due to illness.)

William and I decided to hit the MRB bar around 3pm. The back patio area is packed, however, we managed to snag a couple of seats next to some out of town, young party goers. Three people from Chicago and two from Detroit. They seemed to take a liking to us and insisted on buying drinks for us. Beer for me and William’s favourite tipple, Vodka and diet coke. As the day wore on we were each given a shoe of Jager. On one occasion I went into the bar and a local bar-fly (Byron) thought I was Robert Plant, I guess due to me accent (he thought I was English) and they way I looked? Now, don’t laugh, but this is not the first time I have been asked the same question. If only they heard me sing!

William and I went into the bar to watch the live running of the 145^th Kentucky Derby. The race was run in foul weather, pouring rain and a very muddy track. They race on sand for the Derby. The race was won by the favourite, (Maximum Security), but then Maximim Security was controversially disqualified due to interference on the home turn. I read the next day that the President of the United States had nothing better to do whilst running the richest and most powerful country in the world, to Tweet that the Stewards were wrong and the it was Fake News due to Political Correctness gone mad. Is this man fair dinkum? What a moron he is.

William and I wandered back home around 7 pm, both a little worse for wear. And guess what? The predicted second storm did not occur.

Day Thirty-Two – May 4^th

There has been a heavy Thunderstorm overnight. It is still raining when I get up. At eleven o’clock the Jazz Fest people have sent out word that today’s opening will be delayed until 12:30. More depressing news, there is another major Thunderstorm due around 4:00 pm. I made an executive decision (Captain’s call) to not got to the Fest today. My decision was to some degree based on the predicted storm but also to the fact that John Prine would not be closing out the days music in the Blues Tent (due to illness.)

William and I decided to hit the MRB bar around 3pm. The back patio area is packed, however, we managed to snag a couple of seats next to some out of town, young party goers. Three people from Chicago and two from Detroit. They seemed to take a liking to us and insisted on buying drinks for us. Beer for me and William’s favourite tipple, Vodka and diet coke. As the day wore on we were each given a shoe of Jager. On one occasion I went into the bar and a local bar-fly (Byron) thought I was Robert Plant, I guess due to me accent (he thought I was English) and they way I looked? Now, don’t laugh, but this is not the first time I have been asked the same question. If only they heard me sing!

William and I went into the bar to watch the live running of the 145^th Kentucky Derby. The race was run in foul weather, pouring rain and a very muddy track. They race on sand for the Derby. The race was won by the favourite, (Maximum Security), but then Maximim Security was controversially disqualified due to interference on the home turn. I read the next day that the President of the United States had nothing better to do whilst running the richest and most powerful country in the world, to Tweet that the Stewards were wrong and the it was Fake News due to Political Correctness gone mad. Is this man fair dinkum? What a moron he is.

William and I wandered back home around 7 pm, both a little worse for wear. And guess what? The predicted second storm did not occur.

May 3^rd – Day Thirty-One

Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life. Seneca

I had to renew my phone plan to cover my few remaining days. Brian Wise has told me that he pays a $3 monthly fee so as to keep his U.S. cell number. Might explore that option.

Overcast and humid, the weather for tomorrow (Saturday) is not looking good.

Breakfast this morning at Jazz Fest was Vietnamese Egg Rolls and a BBQ Shrimp Skewer.

Stopped in at the Blues Tent for the last twenty minutes of *John Mooney & Bluesiana. Wicked slide-guitar.

Real enough to record for Ruf and Blind Pig and to sit in with Snooks Eglin and Fess himself, Mooney more or less invented welding Delta Blues to New Orleans funk. – Offbeat Jazz Fest Bible

Then over to the Lagniappe Stage for some of Susan Cowsill of the famous Cowsill Family group from the sixties.

The humidity is bad today. Sitting in the Blues tent becomes sauna like after ten minutes or so.

At 3pm I sat on the track at Gentilly and listened in to a full set of the * North Mississippi Allstars with special guest Anders Osborne. These younger guys sure know how to channel the old-time Hill Country blues. Love it.

*Southern rock and blues band from Mississippi, starring brothers Luther Dickinson (guitar) and Cody Dickinson (drums.) – Offbeat Jazz Bible

By four o’clock I was back in the Blues Tent for *Sonny Landreth. What a slide guitarist this man is. Totally unique. To think that a few years back we nearly had him play at WOW, sadly, the tour was canceled due to Sonny being ill at the time.

*’A thoughtful songwriter and scorching slide guitarist. Landreth can claim the likes of Clapton, Buffett, Hiatt and John Mayall as collaborators and fans’. – Offbeat Jazz fest Bible*’

My last gig for the day (again in the Blues Tent), was the legendary *Los Lobos. For me one of the highlight gigs of Jazz Fest. I enjoyed every minute of it. I sat next to WOW member Geoff and his lovely wife.

*They’re best known for two 80’s Richie Valens covers in ‘La Bamba’ and Come On, Let’s Go,’ but this five-piece band has been holding down the tradition of Mexican-American music since they changed all the rules of Latin rock with ‘Will the Wolf Survive.’ Too ahead of their time, they stuck around through sheer tenacity (like the wolf) and now serve as gatekeepers of border music from the Pacific to Port Arthur.’ – Offbeat Jazz Fest Bible