Saxophonist and Astral Project founder Tony Dagradi grew up in Summit, New Jersey. By high school he knew what he wanted to do: play jazz.
“It was almost as if I didn’t have a choice,” he says. “I didn’t think about, well, how much money am I going to make or how do I get a gig. I was just — all I wanted to do was play.”
The chief executive officer of the Zurich Insurance Group played golf and dodged some heavy rain during the Zurich Classic golf tournament in Avondale. Martin Senn also found time to meet with business leaders while in New Orleans, and reaffirm the company’s commitment to the region.
A one way sign is put up for Jazz Fest a week in advance, but until the day of, these signs are covered and ignored by residents of Bayou St. John (seen here at the corner of Mystery St and Esplanade Ave).
Nina Feldman learns from residents and business owners in Bayou St. John how the Jazz Fest (and the traffic that comes with it) temporarily transforms their neighborhood.
In shady Bayou St. John, the neighbors really know each other. The same crew assembles each morning at the local coffee house to read the paper and debate its assertions; another crowd convenes at the various watering holes each evening.
“It’s one of the great things about this neighborhood,” says Fortin St. resident Jonas Bishop. “The fact that I know everyone on my block… It’s definitely a community-centric area that you don’t find a lot of places.”
Delanie Manuel, server at Liuzza’s by the Track and Jonas’ neighbor, agrees. “I thought I’d be a Quarter Rat forever,” she admits. “But no, I love it here.”
As Jazz Fest enters its second day, folks may be waking up this morning a bit haggard from yesterday’s festivities. For those battling the brown bottle blues, fear not: there may be help for you at the Fair Grounds.
Poppy Tooker, host of Louisiana Eats!, says first you’ll need to visit Ms. Linda’s Ya Ka Mein stand, right near the Congo Square Stage.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicked off Friday. Beautiful weather greeted the crowds with their hats and folding chairs as they streamed through the gates at 11 a.m.
Some turned their heads at road crews still working on Esplanade Avenue.
Construction on long-term street projects has slowed down for the festival, and Esplanade will remain open to traffic throughout.
On average, Jazz Fest adds $300 million to the local economy and is expected to draw nearly half a million attendees this year.
And all of those people need to be fed.
With over 70 food and beverage vendors, Jazz Fest does not disappoint. We spoke with Poppy Tooker, the host of WWNO's Lousiana Eats!, as she went through her annual ritual surveying the food booths at Jazz Fest. We got to preview some of thenewdishes hitting the festival food scene.
Looking for a particular stage at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, presented by Shell? Can't find the bathrooms? Take a look at the Festival Map. You can download a high-resolution version of the map by clicking here.
