The spirit of Jazz Fest is passionate, lively and spontaneous and organisers promise you a soul-stirring experience fuelled by the best jazz, gospel, cajun blues, R&B, funk and Caribbean music.

The Jazz Fest experience typifies both the highs and lows of the jazz experience from intimate blues performed in tiny smoke dimmed bars to big band parades and out door performances.

Jazz Fest’s first line up of performers in 1970 included Duke Ellington, Fats Domino, The Olympia Brass Band and Clifton Chenier but the festival only attracted an audience of around 350, about half of the number of musicians playing in the event. By 2001 audience numbers topped 650,000, as Jazz Fest celebrated Louis Armstrong’s centenary.

Performers from all over the world are drawn to the festival as an opportunity to collaborate with other big names so lucky audiences often get to see some one off impromptu jams featuring jazz legends.

Festival goers will also be able to immerse themselves in the food and culture of jazz in the markets and food stalls.

Jazz Fest coincides with the New Orleans Heritage Festival because in its first year famous local jazz legend, Mahalia Jackson, joined in with a big band marching as part of the Heritage parade for an impromptu but by all accounts spine tingling performance. Proving how important jazz is to the heritage and identity of New Orleans.

The New Orelans Jazz and Heritage Festival Official Website.

Written by  Amy Winterburn.

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