Written by: Rosemary A.W. Roberts

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been a time-honored tradition since 1970 in Louisiana, drawing music fans from near and far. Spanning two weekends and offering a wide variety of musical genres, an estimated 435,000 attended the 2014 festival. The weather perhaps helped contribute to the large turnout, as this year’s festival was graced with sun-drenched days and balmy NOLA nights; ponchos were packed, but not needed. But even if the weather didn’t cooperate, the stellar musicians like Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Santana, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, John Fogerty, Christina Aguilera, The Avett Brothers, Alabama Shakes, and Boz Scaggs, among countless others, were sure to bring in huge crowds.

Reports from attendees throughout the duration of the festival were overwhelmingly positive. All of the acts mentioned above featured electrifying performances that wowed the crowd. Fans also seemed to love many of the NOLA-based musicians like Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band who have long been shaping the sounds of the South, as well as the newer crop of Big Easy essentials like Galactic, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. The “Jazz” aspect of the festival was well represented with melodic offerings from Al Jarreau, Chick Corea and the Vigil, and Branford Marsalis Quartet. Although named for the genre largely birthed in New Orleans, this annual event does not limit itself to Jazz. Soul-funk was provided by Chaka Khan and Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires; various shades of Blues were brought by Johnny Winter, Keb’Mo’ and North Mississippi Allstars; and rock ‘n roll representatives Better Than Ezra and Jason Isbell found their way to the party.

Nearly two decades ago, on April 26, 1996, I had my first Jazz Fest experience. I was going to college in Mobile, AL and I was a budding Phish phan; so naturally, I made the short drive over to NOLA and took part in the crazy scene that ensued as Phish played their first Jazz Fest. Since then, I have attended this iconic festival on multiple occasions, making many fine musical memories along the way. Earlier this year, when it was announced that Phish would return to the festival, exactly eighteen years after the 1996 show, I knew I would make every effort to be there; so on April 26, 2014, our destination would be The Fairgrounds in New Orleans once again.

As we approached the main stage, the New Orleans powerhouse Anders Osborne was just getting started. For those unfamiliar with the exceptional singer/guitarist and his talented bandmates bassist Carl Dufrene and drummer Eric Bolivar, this set came as a pleasant surprise. In true festival fashion, we got an extra treat as pianist Marco Benevento joined the band for the entire set, fitting right in the groove with all the guys. “Peace” and “Windows” were well-delivered, but it was Anders’ sultry guitar work in “Love Has Taken Its Toll” that won over any remaining skeptical listeners. A reggae take on “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and a hard-rocking “Five Bullets” were great additions to the set. One of the musical highlights was “Sarah Anne”, which contained a lovely jam that found Anders meandering beautifully through it. As “Ya Ya” allowed for rhythmic swaying, and “On The Road To Charlie Parker” rocked us all the way home, it’s safe to say Anders and his band made a positive and lasting impact on the Jazz Fest crowd.

After a bit of baking in the hot sun, in the midst of a dense crowd that seemed to stretch so far in all directions that the thought of moving seemed futile, a hopeful breeze lifted our spirits, and Phish took the stage. A rip-rocking “Kill Devil Falls” opened the first set, with a funky “Moma Dance” hot on its heels. “Rift” was expertly executed; and hearkening back to the 1996 setlist, “Wolfman’s Brother” brought the first foray into unscripted musicality, though not travelling too far out. There was a bit of stage banter, with guitarist Trey Anastasio conveying the band’s excitement for returning to this renowned New Orleans festival, and turning over the mic to keyboardist Page McConnell who serenaded us with “Lawnboy”. Drummer Jon Fishman’s song “Party Time” definitely fit the Jazz Fest vibe, and “46 Days” jammed righteously. One of the standouts of the set was a song off the forthcoming album Fuego called “The Line”, a melodic rocker that sounds like it will have a promising future in the band’s repertoire.

In contrast to the single-set performance of 1996, Phish was given a two-set slot for 2014, and the unmistakable bass lines of Mike Gordon heralded “Down With Disease” to open the second set. Fan faves “Birds of a Feather” and “Twist” came out to play, seguing to “Sparkle”, “Free”, and “Light”. There were many of the band’s go-to jam vehicles throughout the show, including “Sand” and “Harry Hood”, and overall it was a solid Phish show; but the improvisational aspects were fairly low profile, with the four musicians playing it safe. The fully day-lit show prevented lighting designer Chris Kuroda from having a pivotal role, and this in turn removed the ultimate wow factor that Phish is known for. Even still, it was really fabulous to see the reigning jam band kings back in New Orleans. As an aside, although the crowds and scheduling did not allow us to trek across the Fairgrounds to see Robert Plant and His Sensational Space Shifters, those in attendance gave rave reviews, applauding his re-working of classic Led Zeppelin songs and his ability to continuously thrill music fans. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival never ceases to entertain and delight, and we fully expect 2015 to carry their rich tradition onward and upward.