Day One: Psychotic Medication

The 41th annual Jazzfest kicked off today on a wet and wild day in New Orleans.

I started shortly after noon by taking in some traditional blues and ragtime played by Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders featuring Butch Thomson. Some fine trombone, clarinet, and trumpet playing highlighted by a pair of Jelly Roll Morton numbers.

More outstanding local talent followed with Kenny Neal in the Blues Tent and he was putting on a clinic on guitar…as you would expect from someone whose guitar teachers included Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo. What started as a drizzle as the show was beginning, however, turned into a colossal downpour to the extent that water flooded the tent! It was about five inches deep and people had to laugh it off or spill out to another area of the fairgrounds and take their chances. I did both. After Kenny wrapped up, I decided to leave the relative security of the Blues Tent but I still had to choose between Dr. John and the Lower 9-11 on one Stage OR George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic on another.
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