User:Luliloisel/New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Analysis of original article
The article's content is relevant to the topic and has a few under-developed areas. While it is generally written neutrally, I believe some of the language needs work. Each claim has a citation but not all are reliable. I believe this article tackles the generalities of an equity gap however a little more information on the indigenous music of New Orleans would solidify the coverage.

All of the subtopics in this article are relevant to the articles topic however the "performers" section threw me off. Perhaps there is a better way to look into the idea of jazz fest performers instead of listing the 2015 performers. The article is written in a neutral tone and conveys it's sub topics well.

All of the links for citations work however there are many local articles used as sources. The sources can be strengthened.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest™ or Jazzfest™) is an annual celebration of the music and culture held at the Fairgrounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation owns the Festival and Shell presents the Festival each year. Today, Festival Productions, Inc produces and organizes the festival. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, as it’s known today, was founded in 1970 by George Wein, Quint Davis and Allison Miner in 1970. Initially, there were smaller scale attempts to create a Jazz Festival in an attempt increase New Orleans tourism. It wasn’t until George Wein was officially involved that the idea gained traction. The Festival brings in thousands of visitors to New Orleans each year to celebrate the rich cultural heritage, music, art and cuisine of Louisiana.

History
New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1960s, was facing economic difficulties. Restaurants and hotels were struggling to keep a steady flow of business. Mardi Gras was not as popular as it would one day be and was typically enjoyed by a small group of citizens who were regarded as elite. Tourism eventually became the driving force behind solutions, and initial efforts to revitalize Carnival in New Orleans led to the creation of the first Mardi Gras "super krewe," the Krewe of Bacchus. The success Bacchus brought to the table made it clear that increased tourism was possible.

Jim Crow was active in the South in the 60s, and Louisiana was no exception. European brass instruments were available to enslaved people and when mixed with African rhythms, Jazz was born. Capitalizing New Orleans as the birthplace of Jazz was the top priority of city officials.

George Wein
George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, was raised in the Boston suburbs. His successful creation and implementation of music festivals gained attention by those invested in creating a Jazz Festival in New Orleans. Wein was contacted in 1962 by Olaf Lambert, manager of the Royal Orleans Hotel in the French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans and asked to bring his festival model to the city. Wein met with Mayor Victor H. Schiro, Seymour Weiss, and a few members of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce about the proposition. It was decided that New Orleans and the South simply weren’t ready for a Jazz Festival. At this time city ordinances were in place that prohibited black and white musicians, tourists and locals from interacting on the scale that would be needed to revitalize the economy.

Initial attempts to create a Jazz Festival in New Orleans
Two years after the initial meeting, Lambert contacted Wein once more. He was asked to plan a festival that would take place in the spring of 1965. On January 9th, 1965, a group of football players arrived at the New Orleans International Airport for an All Star game. Event promoter Dave Dixon assured the players before they arrived that New Orleans would welcome each player regardless of race. Immediately after arriving in the city, it was clear this was not the case. Cab drivers and hotel owners would not serve the black players and blatant discrimination continued after their arrival. The game was moved to Houston, Texas, and fears began to arise that a similar situation would occur for visiting musicians.

In 1968, local businessman and President of the New Orleans Jazz Club, Durel Black, convinced the Chamber of Commerce it was time to start a Jazz Festival in New Orleans. The city was celebrating its 250th anniversary, and Black recognized the opportunity to promote the Festival alongside the anniversary. Wein was contacted once more and asked to develop the festival. George’s wife, Joyce Wein, was an African American woman. This was not common knowledge, and when discovered, Wein’s offer was taken away. A man named Tommy Walker was hired to fill Wein’s role. Walker had experience as the director of entertainment for Disneyland. Additionally, he worked with the New Orleans Saints to provide halftime show entertainment. Finally, some form of a Jazz Festival was planned. Concerts took place in the evening hours in 1968. "The International Jazzfest" was the chosen name, and headliners included Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and a variety of additional artists.

In 1969, a second International JazzFest took place. The second year of the festival had a negative return on investment despite another big name lineup. Recalling George Wein’s passion and abilities, Durel Black asked him to take charge of the festival and assured him that his interracial marriage would no longer be an issue.

Wein was prepared and motivated to get Jazz Fest to a successful place and had faith that the creation of the festival was necessary to protect the culture and heritage in Louisiana. Wein recognized the barriers to success that prevented the International JazzFest of 69’ to flourish. First, his experience taught him that the newer generation of festival attendees prefer to move around and enjoy music during the day. The format of the festival would need to be changed from the ground up.

Wein knew he would need to collaborate locally in order to create a successful festival. Wein contacted Allan Jaffe, director of Preservation Hall, in search of connections. Jaffe introduced Wein to Dick Allen. Allen was the curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University at the time. Allen would eventually introduce Wein to Allison Miner, an employee of the archive, and Quint Davis, a student worker.

Barriers to success recognized by the Festival Founders

 * Jim Crow was still active in New Orleans.
 * Americans were not familiar with Mardi Gras Indians at the time.
 * Americans viewed Fats Domino, a pioneer of Rock and Roll, as authentic New Orleans music. Jazz was not yet common.
 * The board of Directors wanted a Festival that mirrored the Newport Model. Wein, Miner, and Davis would need to convince the board to allow them the freedom to redevelop the format of the festival. Wein saw New Orleans as unique and wanted a the festival to reflect the musical heritage of Louisiana properly.
 * Tickets would need to be inexpensive so that those whose heritage was showcased at the Festival could afford to attend the festival.

Implementing a new festival model
In 1970,  the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Louisiana Heritage Fair was planned and scheduled for April 22–26, 1970. Located in Congo Square, an area in the French Quarter where people of color would socialize and create music. Congo Square was located in what is now known as Armstrong Park and for a short time was renamed “Beauregard Square” after a confederate general. As political attitudes shifted, the area was once again referred to as “Congo Square.”

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was not always as successful as it is today. During the festival's early years, the founders were forced to take out loans in order to host the events. However, the financial obligations began to disappear when the festival started accepting sponsorships and various entertainment genres.

Jazz Fest Today
Due to the growth of the festival, it needed a much larger area to host the event. The catering manager at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course in 1972, George Rhodes, was a lover of jazz music and supporter of the festival right from its conception. He agreed that as long as he would receive earnings from concessions, an exchange of services could be arranged. Rental fees to hold the festival at the Fair Grounds were traded for the concession revenue. The new location eventually brought in over 50,000 people to the City. With five stages and about 30 different musical acts, the festival successfully represented soul, rhythm and blues, and Jazz music.

Over the years, the Festival went through an identity crisis on stage and in the tents. Local African American activists accused the festival of exploiting it’s performers and under-representing the communities that made Jazz Fest possible.

Later in the 1970s Festival Productions, Inc took control of festival production. Internal conflicts arose which led to the 1982 Festival being void of any help from Quint Davis. In 1983, however, Davis came back on board and has produced the festival ever since. In the years leading up to the 2019 Jazz Festival attempts at diversifying the target audience have come and go, some working out and some not.

The Festival now brings in enough financial capital to fund year-round programming, a goal of festival founders, through its 501(c)3 organization. Further details can be found in the section on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation of this article.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that presents the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The foundation was formed in 1970 as the nonprofit arm of the festival. The proceeds from the festival each year are given back to the local community by way of cultural programming. Festival founders George Wein, Quint Davis and Allison Miner trusted that Jazz Fest would be a success despite a slow start in ticket sales. This foresight led to the decision to establish the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation as a nonprofit, allowing the opportunity to give back when revenue increased.

Over the years, revenue started to increase for the festival, but the Foundation was still struggling to afford the costs associated with putting on the programming that was intended by the festival founders. At this time Festival Productions, Inc (FPI) was producing the festival and had increased its revenue extensively. Don Marshall was brought on as executive director of the foundation in 2004 to negotiate a new agreement with FPI and create a clear brand image for the Foundation. The new agreement would guarantee a stream of income for the Foundation, allowing it to create and fund programming that enriches the local community and preserves culture as intended. Other sources of funding for the Foundation come from:


 * Corporate Donors:
 * Shell
 * Peoples Health
 * Acura
 * Individual Donors
 * Gala and special events
 * Public Grants
 * Private Grants

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation operates with a board of directors and a full-time staff. Its mission statement has been shortened over time and currently reads, “The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. promotes, preserves, perpetuates and encourages the music, culture and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs and other cultural, educational, civic and economic activities.”

The board of directors is composed of four parts, and the board is divided into subcommittees. The four parts consist of a voting board, an advisory council, Past Presidents Senate, and an Honor Council. Board members often stay in the position for many years. There is no limit on terms served, and elections are voted on in blocks of 10-12 candidates. Members of the Advisory Council tend to have a higher turnover rate as term limits are stricter, and members are voted on individually.

Members of the board, council or senate are awarded 75 free tickets to the Festival, 8 VIP passes, discounted merchandise and discounts on tickets to big fundraising events. These members are asked to make regular donations to the Foundation.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation continues its involvement with the local community with its assets, programming and educational enrichment. The local programs range from teaching Jazz to local teenagers to preserving recordings, artifacts and interviews. The programs aid in economic growth by providing jobs for local artists and entertainers while offering entertainment to citizens. See below for further detail on the Foundations year-round programming and how funds are raised and redistributed into the local economy.

Foundation Assets
The resources below were created by the Foundation to consistently generate funding for it's year-round programming.


 * The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
 * WWOZ 90.7 FM
 * A local radio station based in the french quarter with programs ran by volunteers whose mission is " to be the worldwide voice, archive, and flag-bearer of New Orleans culture and musical heritage." In 2020 the station celebrated its 40th anniversary and gained national news coverage after its response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. WWOZ 90.7 FM broadcasts live during Jazz Fest and provides local, cultural content year round.
 * Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive
 * An educational resource that acts as a repository for items of historical and cultural importance in Louisiana. The Archive mainly consists of recordings from the Festival, but also features magazines, posters, film and photographs. The artifacts are available for scholarly research, and fellowships are granted to encourage use of the archive.
 * The George & Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center
 * A performance and education venue that also serves as the location for the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music and the Foundations year-round programming. The center is named after Jazz Fest founder George Wein and his wife, Joyce.
 * The Jazz & Heritage Gala
 * A celebration that raises funds for free music education in New Orleans. The proceeds are donated to the Don "Moose" Jamison Heritage School of Music which provides music education to over 280 students in the city.

The Foundations' Year Round Programming
Throughout the year, the Foundation uses its raised funds to provide rich programming focused on cultural education, economic development and cultural enrichment. The three types of programming are detailed below and are diverse. Many of the programs provide entertainment while supporting those who are responsible for the introduction and continuation of New Orleans' rich culture.

Educational Programming

 * Don "Moose" Jamison Heritage School of Music
 * The School of Music is the Foundation’s unique cultural education program. The program got its start in 1990 as an after-school program. Initially, the School was free and taught only a few students on the campus of Southern University at New Orleans. In 2014, the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center opened in the New Orleans’ neighborhood of Treme'. The center is now the permanent location of the School and instructs over 200 students each week. Classes now range from after-school to weekends and utilize instrumental techniques, ear training and composition to teach the art of music and performance.


 * Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series
 * Thomas (Tom) Dent (1932-1998) was the son of Albert W. Dent and Ernestine Jessie Covington Dent. His father was the president of Dillard University, and his mother was a concert pianist. Dent was an African-American cultural activist and poet from New Orleans. Dent was influenced by cultural writers who were covering African-American struggles. Dent served as the Executive Director of the Foundation from 1987 to 1990, and during this time, he founded the Congo Square Lecture Series. After his death, the name was changed to The Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture series in his honor. The series was created to engage local creatives in scholarly conversations surrounding culture and African-American history. Topics range from Jazz and Creole history, Carnival around the world and the evolution of Jazz Funerals in New Orleans.
 * Class Got Brass Contest
 * A ‘Battle of the Brass Bands’ for all middle and high schools in Louisiana that was created to encourage school band programs to participate in the musical culture of New Orleans. The winner receives music education funds for their school. Prizes range from $1,000 to $10,000 and non-winners receive a $1,000 stipend for participating. Each band is limited to 12 members, and each member must be currently enrolled in the school they are competing with. Judges consider originality, adherence to tradition, improvisation, tightness and overall presentation when deciding winners.
 * Songwriting Workshops for Kids with PJ Morton
 * A series of songwriting workshops that are open to middle and high school students in New Orleans. The workshops and applications are free but are limited to 30 students. Students who enjoy songwriting will learn songwriting techniques from PJ Morton. Morton is a Grammy Award winning performer from New Orleans and is a member of the American Pop-Rock band, Maroon 5.
 * Mardi Gras Indian Beading and African Drumming Workshops
 * A series of free workshops that take place at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. Beading workshops are led by the Chief of the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indian tribe, Howard Miller. Chief Miller has been a part of the tribe since 1969 and teaches the workshops to students ages 10-17 in New Orleans. Drumming workshops are led by Luther Gray, head of the Congo Square Preservation Society. Gray has been leading workshops for over 20 years and provides drums to students who cannot provide their own.

Economic Development Programming

 * Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund
 * A statewide relief fund created in March of 2020 to support musicians who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused venue closures all around the world and left many New Orleans’ musicians without a source of income. Emergency grants have been provided to over 2500 musicians in the city and the campaign for fundraising is ongoing. The Foundation supports its mission by redirecting funds back into the community year-round and the establishment of the Jazz & Heritage Relief Fund will continue to support the mission as the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to develop. Donations continue to be received from organizations like Spotify, Michael Murphy Productions, the Goldring Foundation and the Bentson Foundation.
 * Community Partnership Grants
 * To uphold the Foundations mission, proceeds from the Festival are invested back into the community. Over $8 million has been redistributed through Community partnership grants to fund cultural projects. These projects must align with the Foundations mission. While most of these projects work to protect the rich culture of New Orleans, recent category additions include the Louisiana Cultural Equity Arts Grant which allows BIPOC creatives to focus on creating new works. Applications are accepted from all over Louisiana, and a wide range of diversity typically emerges amongst the applicants.
 * Reporting data shows that 92% of total project applications were fully funded in 2019-2020.
 * In-School program applications were 100% funded.
 * After-School program applications were 100% funded.
 * Archive Documentation applications were 64% funded.
 * Presenting applications were 91% funded.
 * Jazz & Heritage Film Festival
 * The Foundation works with the New Orleans Video Access Center to put on a festival that showcases documentaries about south Louisiana or that are produced by New Orleans filmmakers. The festival lasts 3 days and includes screenings and networking for film industry professionals. A majority of the featured films have been awarded funding from the Foundation’s Community Partnership Grants. The festival takes place in February at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center.
 * The Catapult Fund
 * The Foundation supports the local restaurant industry by providing small business owners with funding and business training by way of the Catapult Fund. Funding partners of the Catapult Fund have included Capital One Bank, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC,) the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation (LCEF,) and the Ashé Cultural Arts Center. The Fund is open to small business owners in the Food & Beverage and Culinary Arts industry. These businesses can include LLC's, sole-proprietorship's and incorporated businesses. Over a period of five months, accepted applicants attend 17 free instructional classes focused on business development. Those who participate in the course receive a food safety training certification and leave with new knowledge of key strategies for running a successful business by addressing solutions to the unique challenges the restaurant sector faces in New Orleans. Additionally, a grant pool of $50,000 is portioned and rewarded to participants who successfully complete the course.

Cultural Enrichment Programming

 * Jazz & Heritage Concerts
 * The Jazz & Heritage Concert Series consists of concerts presented by the Foundation throughout the year, in the off-season of Jazz Fest. The concerts take place at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center and are free to the public. Additionally, the Foundation presents two free concerts during Jazz Fest each year. The concerts not only highlight local favorites but artists from different parts of the country. The concert series has followed themes in the past that highlight underrepresented populations. The most recent series was scheduled for the weekend of March 13th, 2020 but was postponed due to a national emergency declared by the former POTUS in regards to the novel corona-virus pandemic. Titled "Chanteuse: Celebrating New Orleans Women in Music," the series was to be focused on women and/or femme-identifying persons to bring attention to the lack of female representation in the music industry. Reports show that  females accounted for 21.7% of all artists in 2019, and the ratio of male to female producers was 37 to 1. Cyrille Aimée, Germaine Bazzle and Maggie Koerner were among the artists initially scheduled to perform. A visual arts exhibit called "Femme Fest," sponsored by the Women's Caucus for Art of Louisiana (WCALA,) was set to be featured at the Jazz & Heritage Art Gallery as a part of the series as well.
 * Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival
 * The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is a celebration of music, food and art that is put on by the Foundation. The festivities typically take place in Lafayette Square and showcase artists such as Little Freddie King. The festival is free to the public; any additional proceeds and donations go towards the Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund starting in October 2021.
 * Treme' Creole Gumbo Festival and Congo Square Rhythms Festival
 * The Treme’ Creole Gumbo Festival and the Congo Square Rhythms Festival are free festivals put on by the Foundation. These Festivals are typically located in Armstrong Park. In 2019 the Congo Square Rhythms Festival took place simultaneously so the two could work together to increase their impact on the city.  African Drumming, Jazz, Funk and Gospel are among the various performances that represent the African diaspora's cultural impact on New Orleans.
 * Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival
 * This free festival presented by the Foundation focuses on Cajun and Zydeco music and takes place during Spring at Armstrong Park. Much like other festivals put on by the Foundation, local art, food and entertainment are showcased at this annual 2 day event. Seafood, especially crawfish, is sold by vendors while art markets and kid's activities are available.
 * Johnny Jackson, Jr. Gospel Is Alive Celebration
 * An outreach program marketed towards senior citizens in New Orleans. The concert is free and is held at the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Foundation board member, Johnny Jackson, Jr. supported this specific concert from its beginnings in 1990, and the concert was eventually named after him to honor his support. Past performers have included the Gospel Soul Children and Rance Allen. Each year Gospel Is Alive! recognizes those who have contributed to the gospel community in a significant way.

Foundation Trademarks
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation owns several trademarks that reflect the different names given to the Festival (The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc.) Festival goers started shortening the name to “Jazz Fest.” In turn, these trademarks were created to prevent confusion among consumers and allow the shortened name to be used widely. Trademarks owned by the foundation include:


 * JAZZ FEST™
 * JAZZFEST™
 * NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL®
 * NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FOUNDATION®
 * NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FEST™
 * CRESCENT CITY BLUES & BBQ FEST™
 * SYNC UP®
 * CONGO SQUARE RHYTHMS FESTIVAL™
 * LOUISIANA CAJUN-ZYDECO FESTIVAL™
 * TREMÉ CREOLE GUMBO FESTIVAL™ • WWOZ™

Stages and Tents
Jazz Fest grew to become the one of the best festivals to watch favorite local artists and musicians, such as the Rebirth Brass Band, Juvenile, and Fats Domino, in addition to popular musicians, such as Ray Charles, Tina Turner, and James Brown in the Treme backyard. After 1972, the festival moved to the Gentilly community. By the 2010, Jazz Fest shifted to a more commercialized festival with headliners, such as the Foo Fighters and Christina Aguilera, shifting its jazz dominance.

The festival has various stages, offering performances to attract the whole family, including:

● The Acura Stage - Main Stage

● Gentilly Stage - Secondary Main Stage

● The Congo Square Stage - Afro-centric and World Music

● Blues Tent - Blues Music

● Jazz Tent - Contemporary Jazz Music

● Gospel Tent - Gospel Musicians and Performers

● Kids Tent - Children's Music and Performances

● The Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do Do Stage - Cajun & Zydeco Music

● Jazz & Heritage Stage - Mardi Gras Indians + Brass Band Performances

● Allison Miner Music Heritage - Panel Discussions, Fest Information + Live Interviews

● Food Heritage Stage - Live Cooking Demonstrations

● Cajun Cabin - Live Cajun Cooking Demonstrations

● Economy Hall Tent - Traditional New Orleans Jazz

● Lagniappe Stage - A potpourri of sound and style

The Congo Square stage name pays homage to a gathering place where black people who were enslaved would meet to sell goods to buy their freedom, play instruments, and dance. Under the Code Noir, Catholic slavemasters allowed people who were enslaved to have each Sunday off from the grueling treatment of forced labor. This helped continue the tradition and spirit of African dancing and drumming. Louis Armstrong Park has replaced the name of the gathering space and drummers can be found playing each Sunday to keep the tradition alive and honor ancestors who were enslaved.

Jazz Fest is not just a series of performances, it’s a cultural experience. Visitors can get a glimpse of the local community’s art and talent. Folklife tents enhance the experience, offering demonstrations and crafts from Latinx, Native American, and masking Mardi Gras Indians and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs in Louisiana. The hours of intricate beading can be seen on the masking Mardi Gras Indians suits and Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs outfits on display.

In 2015, Jazz Fest honored the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA)’s 40th birthday. Students' artwork were displayed and live performances of spoken word and musical theater were featured at the Cultural Pavilion. NOCCA Alumni showcased their musical talent at the Zatarains/WWOZ Jazz Tent, where they paid homage to Ellis Marsalis’ legacy. The festival has an ongoing partnership with local schools like NOCCA to give young artists an opportunity to showcase their talents to a larger audience.

Lauren Loisel Sandboxes, plans and edits
Lauren Loisel sandbox: User:Luliloisel/sandbox

Lauren Loisel Bibliography: User:Luliloisel/New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival/Bibliography

Lauren Loisel Short Analysis Paper: User:Luliloisel/shortanalysispaper

Silvia's sandboxes, plans and edits

 * History/Origin
 * Silvia will be focusing her research on the origin, history and cultural influences behind the festival. How it started, things like that.
 * Evolution of Jazz Fest or Jazz Fest over the years
 * General evolution of culture and fest
 * Jazz Fest & Katrina
 * Jazz Fest & Covid

Silvia's practice sandbox

Silvia's bibliography

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival wiki article