I went to New Orleans to check out JazzFest, and I left there with a fresh  perspective on the importance of getting out of the cocoon and celebrating the majesty of music, art and culture. For four days, I roamed the fairgrounds like a kid looking for something fresh and interesting, and I found it in every corner that I looked. The music was center stage, but the food, friends, joy and optimism were pervasive.

I have not been to New Orleans since pre-Katrina and there’s a side to me that always felt guilty about not getting back sooner. I traveled there three times in the 80s and 90s, but then the combination of work and raising kids simply got in the way. Inevitably, I had a need to return and to experience JazzFest! The festival experience was a definite physical challenge for my mind and body, but as I sit here back in my crib having gotten on a 6AM flight to Newark, I have nothing but the biggest smile on my face.

From Raye to Rod Stewart, David Byrne to NAS, John Batiste to Lord, and massive helpings of gospel, blues, reggae, art, parades and more, it reinforces how music and the arts bring us together and create a fabric of togetherness.

JazzFest = JoyFest