American Songwriter Takes In Jazz Fest 2009

American Songwriter made it through the heat for performances by Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young, Allen Toussaint, Guy Clark and Doc Watson as well as many traditional New Orleans jazz and brass band musicians. Still thinking about that couchon de lait po-boy…Bonnie Raitt

Videos by American Songwriter

Photographs by Laura Brown

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. After a few rocky post-Katrina years where attendance dwindled, the festival was back and better than ever in 2009. American Songwriter was there for the second weekend to catch performances by Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young, Allen Toussaint, Guy Clark, Doc Watson and many more.

Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint played Sunday, May 3 in the early afternoon, pulling from his own extensive repertoire (“Two Trains”) and from others (Paul Simon’s “American Tune.”)

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Toussaint and his very big (and very together) band.

Doc Watson

Doc Watson played the Blues tent on Saturday, May 2 with his grandson Richard Watson and bassist T. Michael Coleman, pulling songs from his great oeurve like “Frankie and Johnnie” and “Deep River Blues.”

Neil Young

Neil Young was fierce on the main stage on Sunday May 3. Before the rains came Neil rocked some of his best stuff including “Cinnamon Girl,” “Old Man,” and “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.”

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Neil and the boys.

Guy Clark

Guy Clark played a set on the Fais Do Do stage on Sunday afternoon. Guy’s stuff seemed to rouse up the clouds which had been threatening but at bay since morning. With longtime friend and accomplice Verlon Thompson, Clark played songs from 2006’s Workbench Songs including “Tornado Time in Texas” (Guy motioned at the darkening sky at the line “well the sky was blacker than a funeral suit”), “Out In The Parking Lot” and “Cinco de Mayo in Memphis.” We think he played a few cuts off his forthcoming release on Dualtone Records, Somedays The Song Writes You, including “a song about art.”

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The rains chased us into a tent for the last hours of the Fest where we caught a fitting end to the weekend: a tribute to Sidney Bechet led by the renowned New Orleans clarinetist Dr. Michael White (above right) and Bob Wilber (left).

Sidney Bechet tribute

Bob Wilber blowing away.

Sidney Bechet trib whiteboard crop

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