After a monster few days at Jazzfest, I was pretty worn out. The crowd, the scope, the bustle, it had all started to wear on me a bit. I needed to find a laidback gig to set me right. So, on Saturday, April 25th, I decided to take in a late night show in my neighborhood. I set out for Le Bon Temps Roulé where guitar slinger Anders Osborne held court. To my surprise, joining Anders this night were wildman Simon Lott on drums, maniac Marco Benevento on keys and a saxophone player whom I didn’t recognize, couldn’t understand when announced but brought some serious heat – what above all, Le Bon Temps is all about. It is without a doubt the hottest place in New Orleans. There’s no stage here; rather, the musicians set up shop in the far corner of an unventilated back room. It’s certainly an [suffocating] experience to be had. Fans come and go, immersing themselves in the music until they can no longer take the temperature. Then, after a quick breather, they jump right back into the fire. The musicians, on the other hand, wail away, wholly enmeshed in the scene unfolding before them.

Waking up Sunday morning (May 3rd), I was in no rush to get down to the Fair Grounds. The final leg of the Jazzfest marathon awaited me, and I felt energized – after sleeping in late, of course. As I approached the gate, I heard Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm bearing down some mean Hill Country Blues. Without hesitation, I headed straight to the Blues tent and sought out those blustery rhythms. There, drummer Burnside – grandson of the Mississippi blues legend R.L. Burnside – and his burly, guitar-toting partner Malcolm blazed through tracks such as the sweltering “My Sweetheart” and the blistering “Tryin’ not to Pull My Gun” from their aptly title album 2 Man Wrecking Crew. The tent was smoking, and the eager crowd dove right into the hard-nosed duo’s muscular beats and fiery guitar riffs.

I got to the Fair Grounds early on Thursday, April 30th, and my first stop on this humid, New Orleans day was for a delicious shrimp po-boy. My next stop was under a tree overlooking the Fais Do Do stage. I figured that a taste of Cajun music was just what I needed to kick off the second weekend of Jazzfest. There, Sonny Bourg & the Bayou Blues Band treated the crowd to a good-old-fashion swamp boogie. With Sonny laying down the beat his mates spiced up the stew with a bit of rockabilly, a pinch of blues and a Cajun kick. As Sonny railed in the heat, I headed over to the Jazz & Heritage stage to catch the tail end of the Paulin Brothers Brass Band. It’s always great to hear a brass band that keeps the traditional flavor of New Orleans going, and nothing beats a good clarinet solo to the snap of a snare drum. They closed their set out with a spirited gospel melody that flowed to and from such standards as “This Little Light of Mine,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “Jesus on the Mainline.”

Perhaps the most unique characteristic about the New Orleans music scene is the manner in which the genuine sense of camaraderie that its musicians share amongst each other transfers itself to the fans.  While the events surrounding Mardi Gras and the festival season often overshadow the winter months, this “quite” season should not be overlooked. All of the musicians have returned from their tours, and there is a renewed sense of energy bounding throughout the streets.  It’s during this time that some of the city’s most spirited jams take place.  Without the usual tourist driven hubbub, nightly, musicians reconnect with their roots, their musical compatriots, and their core fanbase.

Friday, December 12th, I headed out to the Howlin’ Wolf where the funky strut of Russell Batiste’s birthday celebration set the stage for MVVP, an impromptu jam session between Galactic’s Stanton Moore (drums) and Rich Vogel (keys) and Johnny Vidacovich (drums) and George Porter Jr. (bass).