First day of Jazz Festival 2011: A primer

Clothes are almost as important as music at JF. Rule No 1: Begin planning your wardrobe weeks ahead. Best, cheap sundresses can be found at Target. I got this one for $9.

You don't want to get to the fairground and realize you forgot important items. Rule No. 2: Tickets, a schedule, sunglasses and a hat are a must. After that, sunscreen. You can take in your own water bottle. You can hide vodka in there to spike the yummy rosemint tea you can buy there, on ice, made with spring water. Some people do that, just sayin'. 

Rule 3 :Keep your eyes open. You never know who or what you're going to see at JF. Below was an exhibit of the work of the late great music photographer, Herman Leonard. He took pics of Sarah Vaughn. Miles Davis. Dexter Gordon. Suddenly, checking out the exhibit is the widow of famous saxophonist, Dexter Gordon (left), talking to one of NOLA's great storytellers.

Really thick smells waft through the air at certain concerts, none moreso than at Mumford and Sons. Rule No. 4: Don't breathe deeply at certain JF concerts unless beer is not enough.

Rule No. 5: Set camera on manual focus when you're doing a closeup of a fairly steady target at concerts and then lock the focus. I love this man, Keb 'Mo. Soulful. Humble. Great lyrics. Blues tent was packed to the gills. I got really close to him for about five minutes until the guards made me leave. He looked at my camera once and smiled. Ack. I wasn't in focus and neither was he.

I have jumped a barricade twice in my life. Once was to shake hands with Obama when he was campaigning. The second time was to get closer to these Avett Brothers so I could get better pics. Here's the thing: I rarely stay for the entire concert of anything or anybody at JF. Too many other acts going on at the same time. This time, I stayed planted. I even missed Robert Plant, no pun intended, for these guys. Here are three  approaches to consider: A) If there's somebody you really, really like, don't try to jump around the festival too much. Stay put. One act you love is better than half a dozen other acts. OR B) Fly around and see a few minutes of lots of people and plant at one or two. or C) Don't go to any concerts. Sit in the middle of a grassy area and drink spiked rosemint tea. Rule 6: Realize that choosing among ABC, BTW, is the hardest part of JF, 

especially if you have an anxiety disorder.

Like I said, you never know who you are going to run into. Susan met two security guards who entertained us at the end of the Jazz Festival with their enthusiasm and their charm. They got Susan's attention when they told her she looks 35. Rule No. 7: Human connection and flirting among hundreds of thousands of people is always the greatest part of the fest. Well, Ok, almost. Can't forget the music. And the food.

We were blessed to have among us our own Charles, who played at the Children's Tent and then he actually wandered around with Susan, which he never gets to do. He took with him his new blue bass, which he opportunistically had signed by none other than famed bassist Ron Carter who he just happened to meet and just happened to get back stage and hang out with. Rule No. 8: Never miss an opportunity. Take your bass with you. Introduce yourself to people. 

You never know what's going to happen at JF.