Articles by Gary Firstenberg
2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
by Gary Firstenberg
The city of New Orleans is riding high these days. With the beloved football team winning the Super Bowl, a new mayor promising a brighter future, a rebuilding of structures and economy, and a new HBO television show, Treme, extolling the virtues of the unique culture of this musical mecca, times could not be better for the 41st Annual Jazz & Heritage Festival. Like its famed cuisine, this huge music marathon offers a gumbo of sights and sounds; a diversified ...
read moreNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2009
by Gary Firstenberg
If you want to experience music as wide and as deep as the mighty Mississippi River, it is best to go right to the source. In the lush surroundings of the oldest horse racing track in The Big Easy, the 40th Annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrated a diverse assortment of music, and provided an international audience with a far-flung array of Louisiana culture--it was the best attended festival since Hurricane Katrina. For the most part, ...
read moreNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2007
by Gary Firstenberg
At the 38th Annual Jazz & Heritage Festival, hundreds of talented performers, both regional and national, uncorked some vintage music ranging from jazz, blues, rock and gospel to a generous sprinkling of world music, zydeco and Cajun tunes--all reflecting the unique flavor of the culture of New Orleans. 375,000 revelers (the largest crowd in several years) from around the globe converged on the Crescent City to immerse themselves in an abundant blend of joyous sounds, arts and crafts and delectable ...
read moreChicago Jazz Festival 2006
by Gary Firstenberg
Nestled in between Buckingham Fountain and the Sears Tower, Grant Park came alive during Labor Day Weekend with the sweet sound of music at the 28th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. This year, fascinating tributes were paid to Miles Davis' 80th birthday, the magical music of New Orleans, the lyricism of both Oscar Brown, Jr. and Billie Holiday and a heartfelt moment in the sun for trumpeter Malachi Thompson, a Chicago native, who recently passed away after a bout with leukemia. ...
read moreSteve Turre: Still Searchin'
by Gary Firstenberg
Steve Turre is widely considered to be the finest jazz trombonist in the world. In addition to his twenty-plus years of service in the Saturday Night Live Band, he has performed with a virtual who's who of legendary jazz musicians, both as a leader and a sideman. His music is always diverse, challenging, and passionate. His thirteenth studio album, Keep Searchin', will be released by High Note in late-September, and he will be performing with a stellar band at Dizzy's ...
read moreNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest 2006
by Gary Firstenberg
All is well in New Orleans! Well, not exactly but from April 28th through May 7th, the 37th Annual Jazz & Heritage Festival brought a sense of celebratory normalcy to a city torn in half by Hurricane Katrina last fall. Boosted by the rock of such megastars as Bruce Springsteen, Dave Mathews and Paul Simon and jazz royalty like Herbie Hancock, Steve Turre and Eddie Palmieri, New Orleans reclaimed its role as the gravitational center of musical culture. The historic ...
read moreDavid "Fathead" Newman: Keeper of the Flame
by Gary Firstenberg
Saxophonist David “Fathead" Newman is best known for his many years playing in Ray Charles' bands from 1954 to the mid '60s and again in the early '70s. He got his start in Dallas and acquired his trademark nickname at Lincoln High, when band director J.K. Miller called him “Fathead" after he bungled a note in class. He has had a fascinating career in music, performing with numerous legends, participating in memorable and historic recording sessions and putting out his ...
read moreChicago Jazz Festival 2003
by Gary Firstenberg
One of the aspects of Chicago's annual jazz festival is its family-friendly atmosphere, which provides children of all ages a chance to learn about jazz, as well as the opportunity to tap their feet to it. Tents lined the main aisle around the stage, offering food and drink, as well as classic videos of historic jazz performances. There were workshops presented by many musicians, one of which was drummer Winard Harper's congenial yet explosively percussive demonstration. There are not ...
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