Sazerwrap 2026

In years past we have delivered a Sazerwrap to catalog our personal New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival experience, so we will continue that this year. 

The fried oyster salad with shrimp at Atchafalaya

We have reviewed some of the shows we caught already and it should be stated: Jazzfest in New Orleans is RtBE's absolute favorite time of the year. 

It warms my heart and lets me float on a cloud for a week or two after, Jazzfest is just so fulfilling. There is so much music, I see so much and yet I miss so much, it is both joyful and infuriating.

Take the first Friday I got there. Up at 5am, land at 11, cab to house, change and head directly to the Fest with friends. Hot weather, but not stifling, We catch traditional NOLA jazz (Wendell Brunious), funky Mardi Gras Indian music with Cyril Neville, and rock and roll with Billy Iuso, all in the first hour I am at the Fairgrounds. 

Jon Batiste headlined that day, which was a fun time, head home for a shower, head straight to the Fillmore for Dumpstaphunk and The Meters....that is an intense day of tunes....on Day 1!!!

Saturday we caught favorites like Little Freddie King, Jason Isbell, Sam Fish and Nas, but I won't go through everything we did the full trip, that would be tedious. I am however starting to think the days between the main festival are getting better and more desirable for me personally. There are loads of all day fests of local bands that are worth catching, I reviewed one but there are a ton happening. 

Also on Monday we did a road trip to Baton Rouge for none other than Bob Dylan, which was special.

 

On the food front, for this trip I think August took the top spot back from Zasu for me personally, but Zasu, and Clancy's are top notch. I also love the cheaper stuff, Cochon Butcher's Le Pig Mac, just may be the best cost-to-taste consumable in the whole city and we ate so much seafood (Delacroix was a new one this year), lots of crab this trip.

The second weekend brought the rain, so I skipped the fest Thurs and Fri as both were washouts, hit bars with friends and local shows (Sally Baby Sliver Dollar was great, as were The Leopard Hounds) On Saturday when the skies cleared, EVERYONE in the city went to the fest, we even got seats for cocktails at The Carousel Bar before The Shitty Stones and Iguanas out in the Bywater at BJ's and Vaughn's.

Last day at the fest sums it up, I have never seen the fest so crowded on a Sunday (weather was perfect again) and there was a lot of chatter online post JF this year that they may need to figure out a new spot as things were over packed...but the music outweighed everything. The highlight just may have been Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias whose guest laden set was a tribute to the outfits groundbreaking record.

Also, the last last hour and a half at the fest was one for the ages. Tedeschi Trucks Band (with Teddy Swims for a cover of "Feeling Alright"), over to Steve Earle and Anders Osbourne then Earth Wind and Fire, before walking to Mavis Staples, who was amazing, even covering Tom Waits "Chicago". Before heading out for a cab I stopped by the jazz tent to see two tunes from Herbie Hancock...seriously an hour and a half...what a run!

Jazz Fest is unbelievable, but as I get older I may have to cut down and save my bullets for the shows I really want to see, which is usually the local stuff I can't get anywhere else. Anyway, counting the days until next year...it can't come soon enough.