Austin-based blogger Beth Swindle will be covering the New Orleans Heritage & Jazz Festival for Festival Preview. In this post, she previews two JazzFest performers with Texas roots.
According to the pre-festival schedule, a number of Texans (and some folks we've adopted) will make appearances at the New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival, including two terrific lady piano players with styles as vast as the Texas plains. If you're not yet acquainted with her A-Town (a.k.a. Austin) sound, check out boogie woogie maven Marcia Ball. She plays at 2:10 pm Sunday 29 April at the Acura Stage, just ahead of the godfather of the genre, Jerry Lee Lewis. Her hysterical lyrics and jumpin' keyboards more than offset Marcia's no-frills vocals.
If sultry siren is more your style, a headliner Saturday 28 April is 2004 Record of the Year winner Norah Jones(Gentilly Stage 5:30pm). Though now based in NYC, Norah grew up in Dallas and attended the prestigious music school at the University of North Texas. Jones' delicate demeanor and breathy tone pull you in for a intimate listening experience and a great contrast to the other performers in her timeslot: Ludacris and Rod Stewart. Together these ladies are sure to represent fine specimens of Texas entertainment.
