Whether you think the 2022 New Orleans Jazz Festival was a return, a reunion or a rebirth, one thing is for sure – it was a success.
The 7-day celebration of Louisiana music, culture and cuisine arrived at the Fair Grounds for the first time since 2019. It featured the likes of Stevie Nicks, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lionel Richie, Erykah Badu, The Who and much, much more. There were also a host of local musicians doing their thing and fans lapped up the electric atmosphere. What’s more, the local hotels, music clubs and restaurants saw a one-week spike in customers and revenue.
COVID was still rearing its ugly head, with several musicians forced to miss out on some or all of the event following a positive test. But the virus is not hitting as hard as it once did, and revellers were quite happy to enjoy this celebration of music in close quarters. Attendance over the 7 days was recorded at around 475,000, which equals 2019’s number for an 8-day schedule, making it the highest attendance for Jazz Fest since Hurricane Katrina.
The festival after Katrina was set against a backdrop of loss and destruction, and the emotions from the catastrophe were still raw. As the first since the pandemic, this event didn’t feel as emotionally intense – the focus was on reunion and celebration.
Here’s what stood out from the 2022 festival.
Exceeding expectations
Cimafunk is known as the Bruno Mars of Cuba, and he provided the nonstop funk dance party for the Congo Square Stage and the Jazz & Heritage Stage. His charisma is irresistible and his band brought a dynamic rhythm section and sassy horns for a thrilling show. A highlight of the event and definitely a name to watch in the coming years.
Billy Strings was another stand-out performer, showing why he has become the big thing in recent times. His energy is youthful and his tattoos are many, and his contemporary bluegrass sound captures elements of classic style and modern grooves. His band showed outstanding musicianship to put on an unforgettable show – something every true jazz fan will want to see.
Pulling out all the stops
Who doesn’t love to see a big name act pull off something a little different as a tribute to the spirit of Jazz Fest?
Stevie Nicks pulled off her first show since the pandemic and did something a little special. First, she dedicated ‘Landslide’ to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer, then she breathed new life into ‘New Orleans’, a song she created to honour the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers also gave a salute to Hawkins as part of their act.
The Zac Brown Band and their crew delayed the start of their holiday to get to New Orleans from Austin to fill in for Willie Nelson at the last minute. Nelson was forced to drop out of the festival after there was a positive COVID test in his band. Brown even brought about Willie Nelson’s son Lukas, who had performed earlier that afternoon, to belt out ‘On The Road Again’ as a show of respect for Willie.
Credit to the festival for getting the Zac Brown Band in at such short notice. There would have been various simpler (and cheaper) solutions out there but they brought in a headliner-quality replacement to keep the fans happy.
New initiatives
Jazz Fest has really led by example when it comes to recycling waste like cooking oil at the food tents. This year’s festival, and the Gentilly Stage, was sponsored by Shell, and they backed a recycling strategy whereby festival-goers received rewards for collecting aluminium cans and plastic bottles.
Thousands were collected, but many more were also thrown into the trash or left on the ground. With such an exciting recycling initiative in place, let’s hope even more attendees decide to join in with recycling in 2023.
Sound quality
Jazz Fest has been notorious for concerns about the sound quality, with different people having different experiences depending on their position and the environmental conditions. Sound at festivals is rarely as good as inside a more controlled environment, like an arena. It’s all about the festival experience rather than the quality of the sound.
Having said that, there were a few sound-related issues this year. The Blues Tent had a muddy sound that was detrimental to some of the performers, while Stevie Nicks even voiced a complaint about a ‘boom’ sound she could hear onstage.
Changes from previous years
With uncertainty about where the world would be in relation to the pandemic, the blueprints and budgets for Jazz Fest 2022 must have been challenging. There was no compromise on the standard of musical talent, but there were some changes from previous years.
The big green bleachers from the Main Stage field were gone. Also, the Kids’ Tent was a smaller size than usual, with none of the nearby craft and food booths. The stage at the Kids’ Tent was also smaller, and the crowd quickly spilled out into the sunshine outside the tent. There was also no sign of the onsite post office, meaning people had to lug their purchased souvenirs and home crafts around with them.
Final thoughts
The missing elements were likely to be down to budgeting issues and organisers can’t be blamed for the uncertainty surrounding the world as we emerge from the pandemic. Given the strong attendance for the 2022 event, there is plenty of reason to hope everything will be fully restored for the 2023 event.
The music was outstanding, the spirit was one of jubilation and the culture of New Orleans and jazz music was a powerful presence throughout. A return to togetherness and celebration of culture is very welcome after two years of pandemic woes and Jazz Fest 2022 was a resounding success in bringing people together. Respect to the organisers, the musicians and everyone else behind this incredible event – here’s to many, many more festivals for years to come!