The Voodoo Music Experience continues to impress with the diversity of its musical offerings as well as the efforts made to improve its layout and venues.
  
Particularly eye-catching was the wonderfully whimsical Bingo! Parlor’s purple and gold circus tent. The interior of the big top was equally enchanting with luxurious red curtains draped around the stage and a trapeze hanging from above. A bubble machine invited crowds to the area that remained active with groups like the Noisician Coalition; a brightly donned assemblage armed with homemade instruments, the Big Easy Rollergirls and Elvis imitators on little scooters amusingly buzzing around. You almost expected an elephant to suddenly appear from around the bend.
 
Also new and improved was the Preservation Hall Tent, which since its inception in 2006, had been very small, though always charming, venue that would be jammed with those wanting to hear popular New Orleans artists like Irma Thomas and Deacon John. This year, these two got to strut their stuff on a big stage, under a large tent set in a village-type section of the fest that retained the rustic charm of the old tent and reflected the spirit of the French Quarter club.
 
With the Preservation Hall Tent located quite near the huge, often extremely loud Voodoo and PlayStation stages, and facing the latter, one would think sound bleed would be a problem. Yet there was no disturbance even during a solo set by guitarist/vocalist, soul man Rockie Charles that opened the tent on Friday,
 
City Park remains the perfect setting for the festival. During the day, the lovely oak trees shade the roads that become strolling paths. It offers the rare opportunity to be in the park at night, a time when it becomes truly magical. A huge plus is simply its size. It’s almost as if several, very different festivals, occur at the same time – the big name, rock and rap festival and the more down home rhythm & blues and jazz festival. That’s great for families especially with teenagers. Parents and kids can do their own thing and meet back at an appointed place at the end. There were also many acts that appealed to folks of all ages and tastes.
 
The group that seemed to top that category was Los Angeles’ Ozomatli. Performing on the WWOZ Stage, it struck on so many levels moving seamlessly both culturally and musically through the African diaspora and beyond. Great timbale work enlivened cumbias and salsas that were soon followed by the early reggae of “Stir It Up.” The excellent musicians in the group were reunited with rapper Chali 2na, an old-school guy with old school dance moves who came out dressed in khaki pants, a brown T-shirt and minus any bling. During its finale, Ozomatli displayed its New Orleans ties when the guys jumped off the stage and second lined through the crowd.
 
Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews also drew a big, mixed crowd at the same stage despite being up against headliner R.E.M. To put it simply, Andrews, who has always shown brightly, now definitely displays all the makings of a superstar. He, of course, has huge talent on both trombone and trumpet and has furthered his vocal prowess. He’s got the look; he’s got the stance; he’s got the dance steps; he’s got the leadership qualities to drive his recently expanded band, Orleans Avenue, through tight arrangements of music that ranges from hip-hop to old-school soul. An exciting and fun performer, Andrews is a presence. When he lifts his long, muscular arms skyward and offers his warm smile, the man is hard to resist.
 
There was some stage and genre hopping among the musicians at Voodoo Fest as well. Most notably, singer Clint Maedgen ran from the Bingo! Parlor, which is the namesake of the Bingo! Show, the theatrical cabaret troupe he started in 2002, to the WWOZ Stage and Preservation Hall Tent. Booked under his own name, he fronted a large band, which included the versatile Tim Green on saxophone, in a tribute to the Beatles. Maedgen got everyone relaxing on the ground to their feet when he opened with “All You Need Is Love.” The darkness of the tent gave the illusion that day had turned to night and the repertoire with tunes like “Something In the Way She Moves” seemed to turn back the hands of time. In this setting, Maedgen, a remarkable vocalist boasting a vast range, took to the task straight up minus his signature camp though certainly not minus the drama. Needless to say, he utilized a similar, honest approach when he sang with the Blind Boys of Alabama. He was right up front harmonizing with this long-lived, much-loved group that shared the stage with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band  as it did on the Boys’ CD Down in New Orleans. Making a special appearance was the Blind Boys’ now semi-retired vocalist, the legendary Clarence Fountain who showed he still has his chops going down in the basement for some low notes on “God Said It.”
 
Local hip-hop hero, Lil’ Wayne, also attracted an all-age audience. Watching the crowd build, it appeared that folks from the entire festival were suddenly heading in the same direction and ready to “party like a rock star.” Several aspects of this show made it stand apart. For one, young children, their teenage siblings and parents knew the lyrics to the songs and sang along. Lil’ Wayne showed his New Orleans colors in style and attitude and was backed not by just a DJ but a full band.
 
Considering that the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra was the only purveyor of modern jazz appearing at the festival made it that much more disappointing that it was forced to cancel because of the lack of an acoustic piano. “It was just an honest mistake,” says the orchestra’s chief executive Ronald Markham of the lack of the instrument. Nevertheless, it was a sad sight to see some of New Orleans’ finest jazzmen, who had assembled for the gig, walk off into the sunset.
 
Markham says that that everyone in NOJO looks forward to performing at next year’s event. Adding even more modern jazz musicians would certainly be in keeping with Voodoo Fest’s impressive track record for musical and cultural expansion.

Sudan – A Silver Anniversary
 
Always a much-anticipated parade, the Sudan Social and Pleasure Club celebrates its 25th anniversary in a big way on Sunday, November 9, 2008. Noted for its sharp outfits and creative umbrellas and baskets, the Sudan hosts a procession that will boast four brass bands – the Hot 8, the Free Agents, the ReBirth and New Birth – leading four divisions. It starts at noon at the Tremé Center, St. Philip and North Villere and disbands at Kermit Ruffin’s Saloon (formerly Sidney’s Saloon) at St. Bernard and St. Claude avenues.