Jazz & Heritage in New Orleans These Days

The 38th annual New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival has convened in the Crescent City.

There, the culture of New Orleans — the thoroughly local music, food and rituals that are connected to African processions, European carnivals, Caribbean rhythms and America’s history of slavery and intermingling — is a draw not just for tourists, but for New Orleanians. Through sheer perseverance, it is being rebuilt.

Those on the scene described the Jazzfest as its old celebratory self, with an undercurrent of determination.

For the state of the art and and pulse on how the area is enduring, see:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/arts/music/01jazz.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

http://search.nola.com/sp?aff=101&keywords=jazz+%26+heritage+festival