The venues are legendary. The Funky Butt. Jazz purists still consider New Orleans their mecca. But it's tough to be a jazz purist these days. What started with brass bands and big bands morphed into swing, bebop and later fusion, acid jazz, free improvisation.
Jazz is like gumbo, another popular New Orleans export.
This year's edition wraps up this weekend. Not surprisingly, the festival reflects that never-ending jazz debate. This second weekend of the festival includes one of America's biggest arena rock acts, the Dave Matthews Band, in its third Jazz Fest appearance. Soul crooner Al Green played last weekend, decked out in a white suit, tossing roses to the crowd as he sang his sentimental favorites. Van Morrison sang hits such as Brown Eyed Girl and Moondance.