New Orleans Jazzfest day one

I am back in New Orleans for Jazzfest 34 years after my first visit. I used to attend this huge eclectic festival nearly every year, but as my NO musical heroes passed on one by one I stopped coming and it's been ten years since I was last there. Any thoughts that day one of the festival might disappoint were quickly dispelled. It was a fantastic day with perfect weather and a line up of mostly older acts which was a real pleasure.

First up was zydeco star Geno Delafose who seemed on fine form but I couldn't stay as I had to hurry over to the Blues Tent for Tommy McLain and C C Adcock. Ive seen them several times since they started promoting Tommy's new album 'I Ran Down Every Dream' a year or so ago and really enjoy Tommy's swamp pop with CC's guitar accompaniment and support. This time they were a little disappointing. They started late due to Tommy's keyboard having to be changed and the sound in the big tent didn't do justice to his soft melodic voice.

The following set, the New Orleans Classic Recording Revue, was another matter. It was fabulous,featuring as it did several performers from the sixties who are in or approaching their eighties but still have a lot to offer. First up was Al 'Carnival Time' Johnson. Dressed bizarrely in a robe and what looked like a bishop's mitre on his head with letters AL written on it, he sang two Fats Domino numbers, 'Hello Josephine' and 'Ain't That A Shame' plus his signature song 'Carnival Time'. It was good to see him, as it was with the next act, the very lively Wanda Rouzan who had a hit in 1966 as part of the Rouzan Sisters with 'Men at War'. Other numbers included 'Ooh Poo Pah Doo' and 'Don't You Just Know It'.

Next was a real highlight, Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, in a wheelchair and lacking quite a few teeth but still in fine voice and clearly enjoying himself. He was note perfect on 'But I Do' and 'You Always Hurt The One You Love' and showed he can still 'sing like a girl and sing like a frog' on 'Ain't Got No Home'. Completing the legends slot were the Dixie Cups who were excellent on 'Stand By Me', 'Chapel Of Love', 'Iko Iko' and 'When The Saints'.

Next, on the small Lagniappe Stage were more legends introduced by the swamp pop band the Delta Kings led by Gregg Martinez. After a couple of band numbers including 'Big Chief' he introduced 85 year old Johnnie Allen to the stage. Now using a cane (not for medical reasons but as practice for when he gets old, he said) Johnnie's voice was fine on 'Big Bayou', 'A Lover's Question', his first record 'Lonely Days Lonely Nights' and his surprise (to him) big hit 'Promised Land'. He was followed on stage by T K Hulin, a swamp pop artist known as The King (hence T K) who showed off a surpringly soulful voice on 'Mr Pitiful', 'Warm And Tender Love' and 'To Love Somebody'.

Following on the same stage was Mem Shannon, a late replacement and an excellent blues guitarist and singer whose set included 'Ain't Nobody's Business' and 'Ain't No Sunshine'. From there it was back to the Blues Tent for the ever reliable if slightly predictable Charlie Musselwhite, another music veteran who is a great harmonica player but rather unexciting.