New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2011
April 27-29 & May 3-6, 2012
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| Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band |
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| Eddie Vedder |
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| The Eagles |
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| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |
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| Foo Fighters |
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| John Mayer |
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| The Beach Boys |
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| Zac Brown Band |
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| Herbie Hancock |
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| Ne-Yo |
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| My Morning Jacket |
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| Al Green |
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| Jill Scott |
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| Bonnie Rait |
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| Ani DiFranco |
The JazzFest lineup is out and it's another breakout year! Stars representing nearly every known genre of popular music will be coming out for the two-weekend, seven-day festival at the historic Fair Grounds Race Course this spring.
Highlighting this year's festival are:
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Eddie Vedder
- The Eagles
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Little Anthony & The Imperials
- Foo Fighters
- Zac Brown Band
- John Mayer
- My Morning Jacket
- Ne-Yo
- Al Green
- Bon Iver
- Paulina Rubio
- Bonnie Raitt
- Bunny Wailer
- The Beach Boys
- Herbie Hancock
- Galactic
- Feist
- Florence + The Machine
...and hundreds of other performers will be onstage at the 2012 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
From country to gospel to blues to zydeco to R&B to good old rock and roll, this year's JazzFest has something for everyone. And, of course the festival's namesake – jazz. Repping the contemporary and old-style jazz genres are such internationally recognizable names as keyboardists Herbie Hancock and Bruce Hornsby, saxophonists Dave Koz and David Sanborn, bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding, jazz violinist Regina Carter, vocalist Dianne Reeves, and those with local roots like clarinetist Pete Fountain, saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeters Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Jeremy Davenport, James Andrews and his younger brother Troy, better known as "Trombone Shorty."
As for the brass bands for which New Orleans is famous, there will be plenty of them too. Among them are Rebirth, Dirty Dozen, Hot 8, Original Liberty Street, the Storyville Jazz Band with George French and more. Celebrating their Golden Anniversary in 2011, the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be making its traditional appearance, as it has done every year since the festival's founding in the early 1970s. And, be on the lookout for the Mardi Gras Indians! In their colorful suits and headdresses of feathers and sequins and singing their native chants, you can't miss them.
Here are a few more big names that were recently announced for this year's JazzFest:
- The Neville Brothers
- Aaron Neville
- Yolanda Adams
- Jill Scott
- Janelle Monae
- The Funky Meters
- Dr. John & The Lower Nine
- Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
- Allen Toussaint
- Steve Earle
- Ani Di Franco
- James Cotton Blues Band
- Levon Helm Band with Mavis Staples
- Cowboy Mouth
- Bobby Rush
- Marcia Ball
. . . and many, many more!
For a complete day-by-day lineup click here.
In addition to the music, here are some other choice offerings at this year's JazzFest.
Crafts & Marketplaces
Painters, sculptors, jewelry designers, basket weavers and many more skilled craftspeople have their handiworks on display and for sale during each day of JazzFest. The number of regionally and nationally acclaimed artists has now grown to more than 300, concentrated in four distinct event venues.
At Congo Square you can experience music and art from Africa and the African Diaspora. The Congo Square stage features performances by African, African-American, African-Caribbean and Latino musicians. Shop at Congo Square African Marketplace for original paintings, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, and an array of handcrafted artworks.
Contemporary Crafts is a nationally recognized showcase of alluring handcrafted clothing, beautiful leather goods and hand-blown glass, along with a brilliant array of paintings, photographs, sculptures and irresistible jewelry.
In the Louisiana Marketplace, the state's finest traditional and contemporary artists display and sell hand-colored photographs, pine needle baskets, whimsical jewelry, and other creations that evoke the state's unique cultural history.
Food
Nowhere else will you find such matchless cuisine as is found at JazzFest. The Food Fair offers classic New Orleans staples and over time has expanded to include Creole and Cajun offerings as well as international cuisine. You'll find everything from appetizers to yummy desserts: whatever your tastes happen to be.
In addition to the dozens of fine foods offered, there are two cooking stages at the Fair Grounds Grandstand demonstrating the rich culinary history of New Orleans and offering samples of signature dishes featuring local ingredients from celebrated chefs, farmers, fishermen, and home cooks.
How to Get There
The Fair Grounds Race Course is located at 1731 Gentilly Boulevard, just minutes from downtown and the French Quarter. However, the immediate area around the site will be off-limits to most vehicular traffic. Convenient bus service on the Esplanade route will take festival-goers to within walking distance of the festival gates, as will shuttle bus service from various park-and-ride lots and other convenient pick-up points around the city.
For a scenic route to the festival you can take the Canal Street Streetcar line, transfer to the North Carrollton Avenue branch and take it to the end at City Park. From there the festival is about a half-mile walk down Esplanade Avenue. Follow the crowd and you can't miss it.
To order tickets or receive more information on JazzFest 2012 visit their website at www.nojazzfest.com.
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