New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New Orleans each year.[1] The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation Inc., as it is officially named, was established in 1970 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (NPO). The Foundation is the original organizer of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell Oil Company, a corporate financial sponsor. The Foundation was established primarily to redistribute the funds generated by Jazz Fest into the local community. As an NPO, their mission further states that the Foundation "promotes, preserves, perpetuates and encourages the music, culture and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs and other cultural, educational, civic and economic activities".[2][3] The founders of the organization included pianist and promoter George Wein, producer Quint Davis and the late Allison Miner.[4]
"Jazz Fest" redirects here. For other jazz festivals, see List of jazz festivals.New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
In addition to the Festival, the organization's other assets include radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive and The George & Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. The Foundation also raises funds by holding the Jazz & Heritage Gala every year and provides several educational programs and a variety of more targeted festivals.
Because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 marked the first year in the fifty-year history of Jazz Fest that the two-week festival has been cancelled. It was originally rescheduled to take place October 8–17, 2021,[5] but later cancelled completely.[6] 2022 saw its resumption after a two-year hiatus.
Background[edit]
In 1962, Olaf Lambert,[7] the manager of the Royal Orleans Hotel in the French Quarter contacted George Wein, a jazz mogul and founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island and asked him to bring his festival model to New Orleans.[8] Wein met with Mayor Victor H. Schiro, Seymour Weiss a hotel executive and civic leader, and a few members of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce to discuss the proposition.[8] They decided that New Orleans and the South were not ready for a jazz festival. It was a time in the city's history that was fraught with racism and segregationists reminiscent of the Jim Crow era. City ordinances were still in place that prohibited interaction between black and white musicians, tourists and locals and prevented revitalization of the economy in this manner.[8]
Two years after their initial meeting, Lambert again contacted George Wein and asked him to plan what was to be called the New Orleans International Jazz Festival for the spring of 1965. Racial tensions were on the rise, and the non-profit community effort was postponed because of "integration tensions".[9] In the meantime, the proposed Annual New Orleans International Jazz Festival moved ahead under the auspices of attorney Dean A. Andrews Jr. Community organizations such as the New Orleans Jazz Club were not invited, and the event failed to attract big names, which Andrews claimed was by design. "Our idea is not to bring in big-time musicians. We want to tell the story of the New Orleans sound, to show the evolution of New Orleans jazz."[10][9]
In 1967, Durel Black, a local businessman and president of the New Orleans Jazz Club, convinced the local Chamber of Commerce that it was time to make another attempt at starting a jazz festival in New Orleans. The city would celebrate its 250th anniversary in 1968, and Black recognized it as an opportunity to promote the festival.[8] Wein was asked again to develop the festival; however, when it was discovered that his wife Joyce was African-American, the offer was retracted, and events director Tommy Walker was hired instead.[8] A jazz festival was planned, and evening concerts were held in 1968 under the billing The International Jazzfest with headliners that included Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and a variety of other artists.[8]
In 1969, a second International Jazzfest took place, resulting in a negative return on investment, despite its big name lineup. Durel Black contacted Wein yet again, assured him that his interracial marriage was no longer an issue, and asked him to take charge of the festival.[8] Wein agreed and was prepared and motivated to protect the culture and heritage in Louisiana. However, he also recognized the barriers that prevented the International JazzFest of '69 from flourishing. He concluded that the format of the festival had to be changed from the ground up, and that local collaboration was necessary for it to succeed. He contacted Allan Jaffe, director of Preservation Hall,[8] who arranged the necessary connections with Allison Miner, Quint Davis and several other promoters.[4]
Yearly posters[edit]
For every Jazz Fest from 1984 to 2020 & since 2022, there have been a series of posters released that are related to that year's event. These posters have become some of the most widely recognized pieces of art in the New Orleans/Louisiana area. They are sold at the festival and after the festival online and in many art stores around the area. Posters gain significant value as time goes on.[16]
Jazz Fest grew to become one of the best festivals to watch local artists and musicians, such as the Rebirth Brass Band, Juvenile, and Fats Domino, in addition to well-known musicians like Ray Charles, Tina Turner and James Brown in the Tremé backyard.[21] After 1972, the festival moved to the Gentilly community. By 2010, Jazz Fest had become more commercialized with headliners such as the Foo Fighters and Christina Aguilera, shifting away from its jazz-dominated roots.[21]
The festival has various performance stages including:[22]
The Congo Square stage name pays homage to a gathering place where enslaved black people would meet to sell goods to buy their freedom, play instruments, and dance. Under the Code Noir, Catholic slavemasters allowed their slaves to have Sundays off.[23] That day off helped to preserve the tradition and spirit of African dancing and drumming. The name of the gathering area was changed to Louis Armstrong Park, where drummers traditionally perform on Sundays in honor of their enslaved ancestors.[23]
In 2015, Jazz Fest honored the 40th birthday of New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA).[24] Displays included student artwork; live performances of spoken word and musical theater were featured at the Cultural Pavilion. NOCCA Alumni showcased their musical talents at the Zatarains/WWOZ Jazz Tent, where they paid homage to the legacy of Ellis Marsalis Jr. The festival has an ongoing partnership with local schools like NOCCA to give young artists an opportunity to showcase their talents to a larger audience.[24]