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Second Weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The first two days were shortened by bad weather. Second Thursday: Starting out with a first for me, opera at Jazz Fest, with OperaCreole in a rainstorm. Helen Gillet: A typically wonderful set (solo and duo with a percussionist) from the cellist/vocalist. Isaiah Collier: Based on his Big Ears Festival performance, I was really looking forward to this set. He had the same pianist and drummer as at Big Ears, plus a harp player and the outstanding New Orleans bassist Amina Scott. The first two songs were just as good as at Big Ears, including his grim Requiem. Then the festival abruptly closed due to weather. Very disappointing that the set was truncated. Trumpet Mafia: In the evening, a small group version of Ashlin Parker's Trumpet Mafia at Snug Harbor. Cyrille Aimee is guest vocalist. Second Friday: Victor Campbell: The virtuoso Cuban pianist provides an electrifying set, with mostly Cuban jazz musicians. Larry Sieberth Prewsents Da Groove: Larry Sieberth is a fine New Orleans based pianist, but I was expecting a misbegotten fusion project. It was the opposite, an exciting fusion band featuring David "Fuse" Fiuczynski on guitar and Danny Sadownick on percussion. The guitarist I knew played with Ronald Shannon Jackson but I had to look up the percussionist. Taylor Swift's drummer, slumming in the jazz tent. Terrence Blanchard with Ravi Coltrane: This was a tribute to Miles Davis and Coltrane, but they only performed songs associated with Miles Davis (50s and early 60s era). For some reason, this set did not quite work for me. A focus on electric Miles would have been more appropriate for the band. Second Saturday: The weather was perfect for the final two days and massive crowds showed up. On Saturday, there was a cover band called The Eagles on the biggest stage, which seemed to draw a lot of people. I on the other hand happily spent most of the day in Economy Hall. The Paulin Brothers Brass Band. Founded in 1907. Mark Braud's New Orleans Jazz Giants. Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, with Dr. Michael White, Jamil Sharif, and Shaye Cohn. This set was tremendous. Leroy Jones & New Orleans' Finest. A contemporary giant of the trumpet playing in relative obscurity in New Orleans. Uptown Jazz Orchestra. This big band, led by Delfeayo Marsalis and playing weekly at Snug Harbor, is just fantastic, filled with hot soloists. Pandemonium ensues in the Jazz Tent. Sacred Sunday: Another beautiful day. Starting out with the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, playing mostly arrangements of Brian Wilson compositions. This works surprisingly well. Trumpet Mafia: Ashlin Parker's giant, trumpet-based big band, Trumpet Mafia (in recent years they have added a saxophone and trombone section), this year features Keyon Harrold as lead soloist, in a Miles Davis tribute that far eclipses the Terence Blanchar/Ravi Coltrane tribute. This covers all of Miles' eras and is a tremendously exciting set. Jackie Venson: Making her Jazz Fest debut in the Blues Tent, probably the best and most intense live performance by her I have seen. Lila Ike: Closing out the Fest in the small stage Cultural Pavillion for Jamaican reggae singer Lila Ike. Great vocalist. Fantastic. On the way out, I hear the very loud end of Whipping Post by the Tedeski Trucks Band from a safe distance..  

I agree that both books were fairly pricey when new (the Francis Wolff book sometimes is even more so now). So this MUST be a great deal here. I guess I must consider myself lucky I scored both of them (German version of the Francis Wolff book and softcover edition of the BN cover art book) FREE from that jazz collector estate last fall (that also yielded To Bird With Love ).  BTW, about those "a few Francis Wolff books": Long before last fall's finds, I already had bought a copy of "Blue Note Photography" (Francis Wolff/Jimmy Katz) published by Jazzprezzo. Compared to "The Blue Note Years" it does pale by comparison. Mostly because to me personally the Jimmy Katz photogrpahs do not much. They are OK but you can see he is copying the Wolff style. And then many of those more recent jazzmen just are not as sharp, naturally photogenic dudes as those from the 50s and 60s.  But it was good to see both Wolff sets do not duplicate each other entirely but sometimes yielded different shots from one and the same recording session. So still somewhat complementary ...