[Dixielandjazz] Festivals-- Who does it better?

[Texasjazzlover]

Thanks for your sensible reply.

The people and the surroundings make Sacramento a very pleasant place to
visit....and then there are all the top musicians.... Who needs those "big
names"?

Also, agree the French Quarter Festival is a fun time!

Rebecca Thompson
Flower Mound, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of Norman
Vickers
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 2:44 PM
To: DJML
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Festivals-- Who does it better?



>Steve Barbone writes:
>Re:Borcher, Krum, et al have done a fine job. Wein just does it better, and
>a visit to any of the festivals he produces will make that point very
>clear. As will a look at who the performers are at a festival like JVC.

Interesting point-- how does one judge quality of a festival?  For the
promoter, I guess it would be profits or number of admissions.  From the
point of view of the sophisticated festival-goer, it's many other
things--quality of music, pleasant surroundings, pleasant fellow-listeners.

A case in point of "success" with decreasing quality, is the New Orleans
Jazz and Heritage Festival.  Wildly successful from admissions and,
presumably, profits, NOJ&H is second only to Mardi Gras as a money-maker for
New Orleans. However, it's held at the infield of the Fairgrounds Race
Track.  As you put more and more people into an enclosed space, there is
less individual space for the listener. There's more heritage--Zydeco,
bluegrass, gospel, cajun-- and less jazz.  When it rains, it's a mudpuddle,
when it's dry, it's dusty.  In all, it's still a bargain for the one who
wants browse an event and sample the various kinds of music.  And, the
natives are used to crowds and they're generally reasonably well behaved.
If one is willing to put up with the disadvantages, he/she can sample lots
of different kinds of music. For me, I remember the early days when it was
uncrowded, lots of space and opportunity to sample different kinds of music
and hear musicians new to me.

Admittedly, there are big ticket concerts in the evenings around the city
and sometimes players are found in some of the clubs.  I can't speak to
that, not having attended except during the day at the Fairgrounds.  The
NOJ&H Festival closes at dark, not having ability to illuminate the
Fairgrounds Race track properly.

The Jazz Society of Pensacola, now 20 years old and only 200 miles from NO,
has been taking a bus to NOJ&H annually since 1982.  However about 8 years
ago, the Society members rebelled and, in a stroke of sanity, decided to
attend the French Quarter Festival ( held about two weeks ahead of NOJ&H)
instead. Besides having more room and more things to do, the French Quarter
festival is free!  And one should also mention, it mostly features local
musicians playing New Orleans music.

Re: the NOJ&H festival, as they sometimes say in New York, " It's so
crowded, nobody hardly goes any more!"

Norman Vickers



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