The documentary "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story" casts a shining light on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, a crowning achievement for the dysfunctional, poverty-stricken city.
Directed by Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, the film focuses on the festival's 50th anniversary in 2019, before a two-year covid shutdown. The festival returned this spring.
Showing performances and commentary on the festival by a range of musicians, the film sees the festival as a culmination of the city's diverse cultural mix.
Along with jazz, the festival showcases hip-hop, rhythm and blues, rock, gospel, folk and Cajun music.
Several years ago, the festival began offering performances by big-time acts like the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.
Yet, the festival still strives to give attention to local and regional performers, as the film records with scenes from the festival's many musical tents and stages.
The film opens with a supercharged performance by Earth, Wind and Fire at the 2019 festival. Also shown are Pit Bull, Jimmy Buffett, Katy Perry - with a gospel choir - and others.
A heart-rending scene shows the late jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis performing with his famous sons Branford, Wynton and Delfeayo, one of the rare times the family played together. Ellis Marsalis was an early victim of the covid pandemic.
Tears will also flow at Springsteen’s 2006 performance at the first jazz festival following the city's devastation by Hurricane Katrina. Springsteen is shown with his acoustic guitar singing "My City in Ruins," leading the audience to a rousing affirmation of the city's resilient spirit.
Looking back to the festival's origins, the film interviews the late founder George Wein, who launched the New Orleans event after achieving success with the Newport Jazz Festival. Longtime jazz festival producer Quint Davis, who succeeded Wein, is the film's guiding spirit.
Local legends Irma Thomas, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the late Allen Toussaint make appearances, along with a new generation led by Trombone Shorty and hip-hop artists. The city's Mardi Gras indians display their gorgeous costumes.
Along with historic jazz festival performances, the film looks at the city's diverse musical culture, with a long sequence exploring the jazz funeral tradition. Marshall and Suffern also trace the origins of jazz and the blues in the city's slavery era, including the Congo Square slave market.
The festival also offers a sumptuous array of Louisiana food. The film looks at the regional cuisines that make the festival a major dining event.
Glossing over the city's poverty and high murder rate, the film presents the city as a major contributor to American culture, as reflected in the jazz fest.
The festival presents New Orleans at its best, a city of joy, community spirit and unbounded musical creativity.
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