New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

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The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Mahalia Jackson, often called the greatest gospel singer, returned to her hometown to appear at the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April of 1970. While attending the Louisiana Heritage Fair in Congo Square (then known as Beauregard Square), she and Duke Ellington, who also appeared at the event, came upon the Eureka Brass Band leading a crowd of second-line revelers through the Festival grounds. George Wein, producer of the Festival, handed Ms. Jackson a microphone, she sang along with the band and joined the parade…and the spirit of Jazz Fest was born.

This spontaneous, momentous scene—this meeting of jazz and heritage—has stood for decades since as a stirring symbol of the authenticity of the celebration that was destined to become a cultural force.

From the very beginning, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was envisioned as an important event that would have great cultural significance and popular appeal. The Festival was the culmination of years of discussions and efforts by city leaders who wanted to create an event worthy of the city’s legacy as the birthplace of jazz. A couple of other festivals were held in the years leading up to the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but those events, different in format, did not take hold as the Jazz & Heritage Festival would.

James Taylor
Joe Cocker
Earth Wind & Fire
Wilco
Spoon
Erykah Badu
Irma Thomas
Orishas
Third World
Robert Cray
Etta James & the Roots Band
Mavis Staples
Drive-By Truckers feat. Booker T. Jones
Johnny Winter
Pete Seeger
Hugh Masekela
Better Than Ezra
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
Galactic
Roy Haynes
Pete Fountain
Avett Brothers
Kinky
Roy Rogers
Del McCoury Band
Terence Blanchard
Marc Broussard
DJ Jubilee with 5th Ward Weebie and Ms. Tee
Buckwheat Zydeco’s 30th Anniversary feat. The Hitchhikers
Tab Benoit
Locos por Juana
Trombone Shorty
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Yacub Addy and Odadaa of Ghana
Rebirth Brass Band Reunion with Kermit Ruffins
Ivan Neville & Dumpstaphunk
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience
Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys
Donald Harrison
The Anointed Jackson Sisters
Tribute to Mahalia Jackson featuring Irma Thomas
Mavis Staples
and Pamela Landrum
Chris Smither
Henry Butler
Papa Grows Funk
Robert Mirabal
Harlem Blues & Jazz Band
Rockin’ Dopsie
Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters
Sonny Landreth
Benjy Davis Project
The Vettes
Mem Shannon & the Membership
Stephanie Jordan
Warren Storm
Willie Tee and Cypress feat. Tommy McLain and T K Hulin
Astral Project
Ladysmith Redlions of South Africa
Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders
Amammereso Agofomma of Ghana
The Dixie Cups
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
Germaine Bazzle
John Mooney & Bluesiana
Marlon Jordan
Tabby Thomas
Spencer Bohren
Savoy Music Center of Eunice Saturday Cajun Jam
Dew Drop Inn Revisited hosted by Deacon John feat. Wanda Rouzan
Eddie Bo
Allen Toussaint
Robert Parker
and Al “Carnival Time” Johnson
Paul Sanchez & the Rolling Road Show
Wayne Toups & Zydecajun
Leroy Jones presents the Fairview Brass Band Reunion Tribute to Danny Barker
Bruce Daigrepont
Vivaz!
Pfister Sisters’ 30th Anniversary
Gringo do Choro
Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band
Thais Clark
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians
Henry Gray & the Cats
Joe Krown
Walter “Wolfman” Washington & Russell Batiste
Jr.
Lil’ Buck Sinegal Blues Band
EOE
Ebony Hillbillies
Crescent City Allstars feat. James Andrews
Hot 8 Brass Band
Schatzy
Jake Smith
19th Street Red Blues Band
Brasilliance!
Mighty Chariots of Fire
Sharde Thomas & the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band
Chris Owens
Topsy Chapman
New Bumpers’ Revival Jazz Band of France
Zulu Male Ensemble
Jo “Cool” Davis
Leah Chase
Herlin Riley
Roderick Paulin
Mahogany Brass Band
Ingrid Lucia
MyNameisJohnMichael
Texas Johnny Brown & the Quality Blues Band
Rockie Charles & the Stax of Love
AsheSon
Jim McCormick
Lil’ Malcolm & the House Rockers
Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers
Thomas “Big Hat” Fields & his Foot Stompin’ Zydeco Band
Guitar Slim
Jr.
Storyville Stompers Brass Band
Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express
Lost Bayou Ramblers
Waterseed
Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians
DJ Hektik & the New Orleans Society of Dance with Freedia and Nobi
Tipsy Chicks
Jonno Frishberg & Bayou DeVille
Christian Serpas & Ghost Town
Kumbuka African Drum and Dance Collective
NewBirth Brass Band
High Ground Drifters Bluegrass Band
New Orleans Night Crawlers Brass Band
Hadley Castille & the Sharecropper Band
Carrollton Hunters and Cherokee Hunters Mardi Gras Indians
Big Steppers
Furious Five
and Untouchables SAPCs
Patrice Fisher & Arpa feat. special guests from Brazil
Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders feat. Butch Thompson
Young Tuxedo Brass Band
Betty Winn & One A-Chord
McDonogh #35 High School Gospel Choir
Sophisticated Ladies feat. Barbara Shorts
Leslie Smith
Cindy Scott
and Judy Spellman
Golden Comanche and Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians
N.O.C.C.A. Jazz Ensemble
Real Untouchables Brass Band
Olympia Aid
New Look & First Division SAPCs
New Orleans Jazz Vipers
Tommy Sancton
Society Brass Band
Connie Jones
St. Joseph the Worker Music Ministry
UNO Jazz Combo
June Gardner & the Fellas
New Orleans Spiritualettes
Smitty Dee’s Brass Band
Kid Simmons’ Local International Allstars
Semolian Warriors
Comanche Hunters
and Golden Star Hunters Mardi Gras Indians
Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble
Tyronne Foster & the Arc Singers
Loyola University Jazz Ensemble
Franklin Avenue B.C. Mass Choir
Small Souljas Brass Band
Val & the Love Alive Fellowship Choir
Single Ladies
Family Ties
Big Nine
and Keep N It Real SAPCs
Second Mount Carmel Gospel Choir
Xavier University Jazz Ensemble
Heritage School of Music Band
Gospel Soul Children
Nine Times Men
Single Men
Dumaine Gang
Divine Ladies
and Lady Jetsetters SAPCs
Red
White & Blue and Wild Mohican Mardi Gras Indians
Reverend Charles Jackson & the Jackson Travelers
Nineveh B.C. Mass Choir
Kid Simmon’s Local International Allstars
Voices of St. Peter Claver
David & Roselyn
Grayhawk
Washboard Leo
Red Hot Brass Band
Kayla Woodson & Louisiana Lightnin’….