Kumasi Afrobeat Orchestra...

 Where do you start to write about all the good music to see at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival? It's hard. I chose this year to go because there were a lot of bands I liked. I also heard a lot of new things. A New Orleans blog I read and like is My Spilt Milk and they were of the opinion that this year's fest lacked star power. That's ok because it was more like the fest I first went to with lots of blues, traditional jazz and international sounds. As My Spilt Milk advises, see something in the Economy Hall tent, something in the Gospel Tent and something international you cannot see anywhere else and you will have a great fest.

I took the see something international advice a lot this fest. This band Kumasi Afro Beat Orchestra is actually a local band but is very much styled in the African sounds of Fela Kuti. I thought they were from Africa myself.  I'll be buying their music. You should also.   

They performed at the jazz and heritage stage. It was a good place to crowd in close for the good vibes while rock dinosaurs Like Aerosmith and the Steve Miller band, both dead from the neck down since 1972 or so played the big stages.

I tried to describe to a rock fan the Cuban, Haitian, African and traditional jazz music I saw at the fest and the response was, "I'd probably be bored." With the costumes, dancing and energetic beats I had to question myself why I listen to so much rock and country music that plods along 1, 2, 3, 4...