New Orleans Jazz Fest Day 3 was another success to add to the books. It was much hotter than the previous days, but was still enjoyable to see a headliner we thought we would never see at Jazz Fest — Lil Wayne. Turns out, Lil Wayne was born and raised in the Birthplace of Jazz and fans came out by the tens of thousands to see him.
A 1960’s favorite, girl pop group The Dixie Cups had an early performance on the Gentilly Stage. Though two of the founding members have since passed away, core member Barbara Hawkins now performs with Athelgra Neville, sister of The Neville Brothers, and Naydja Cojoe. The women wore matching white outfits with sheer orange patterned cardigans. They sang their hits “Chapel of Love” and “Iko Iko.”
Bounce rapper Big Freedia had the Festival Stage all to herself and put on one of the best shows we have seen so far. Her Gospel Revival songs proved you can have church anywhere with her new gospel tunes. Her usual bounce songs are now mashed with classic gospel sounds, bringing a unique genre to the stage this year and opening new doors for Big Freedia as she expands her repertoire.
On the Congo Square Stage, Omari Neville and The Fuel jammed out to a fusion of New Orleans Funk, Rock, Reggae, Punk, and Soul. The band is a continuation of the original Neville Brothers Band that formed in 1977 and became an icon of Uptown New Orleans. Omari rocked out on the drums while delivering vocals as the band created their classic funk sounds.
A regular of Jazz Fest, Kermitt Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers performed on the Gentilly Stage. Ruffins played some of his trumpet classics including “Little Liza Jane” and his idol Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” His daughter Neshia Ruffins joined him on stage to sing Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” and heartfelt “L.O.V.E. (L is for the way you look at me)” by Frank Sinatra.
New Orleans’ 9th Ward native Erica Falls & Vintage Soul represented their city with soulful lyrics and emotional storytelling. Previously, Falls toured with New Orleans funk band Galactic as their lead vocalist but recently made the decision to focus on her solo career. She has since won multiple awards for her vocal prowess and has become a staple in neo-soul.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is named after the historic music venue in the French Quarter dedicated to keeping alive traditional New Orleans jazz. The band performed some traditional songs, like “Tootie Ma” and “Lord, Lord, Lord, You Sure Been Good to Me.” 93 year old band member Charlie Gabriel provided vocals for “Come with Me,” an homage to their hometown of New Orleans.
GRAMMY award winning group Tank and The Bangas brought tons of energy and pops of color to the stage. Lead vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball wore an all gold sequin gown and pink feather cape as her background dancers and singers kept up with her powerhouse vocals. The group is featured on this year’s one-of-a-kind poster in celebration of their recent GRAMMY.
Irma Thomas brought retro vibes to the Gentilly Stage where she played some of her best hits. She covered a slew of songs including “It’s Raining,” “Ruler of My Heart,” “Two Winters Long,” and “Love Don’t Change.” Thomas performed a throwback tune “I Done Got Over It” where she added a fun interlude including verses from “Iko Iko” and “Hey Pocky Way.”
Canadian jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall closed out the day in the Jazz Tent. Her smooth low alto vocals and effortless piano playing were the perfect way to calmly end a busy day in the heat. Festivalgoers sat back and enjoyed a slower moment on a fast-paced day.
Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band played a closing set in the Blues Tent. The band consists of Taj Mahal on vocals, dobro, and harmonica, vocalist and guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, bassist and vocalist Larry Fulcher, drummer and percussionist Tony Braunagel, saxophonist Joe Sublett, and trumpet player Darrell Leonard. The band welcomed to the stage vocalist Nick Hernandez from reggae band Common Sense to sing some R&B alongside them.
At 5:30, Lil Wayne & The Roots performed their closing set on the main Festival Stage. The Roots began the set with 45-minutes of their best hip-hop, soul, and funk. Wayne finally came to the stage at 6:15 wearing a thick “CM” chain with a lit blunt in hand. Wayne and The Roots performed the song “Mr. Carter” together. For Wayne’s portion of the show, he covered 20-some tracks from his discography including favorites “Fireman” and “Lollipop.” Unfortunately, Wayne only sang about 30 seconds of many songs before moving onto the next. Nonetheless, the crowd yelled all the lyrics back in unison, having a blast. The big finale song was “A Milli,” leaving the crowd feeling a sense of community with the NOLA-raised artist.
Stay tuned for the recap of Day 4, and last day of weekend one at Jazz Fest!