Parallel Johnny

Yesterday I made it out to the Jazz Fest.  Lauren was at work, so I decided to go it alone.  I actually enjoy going to the festival by myself. The past few years I have gone alone and met up with some people later on.  I had about 2 hours to myself before I met up with Adam and Miranda for Dr. John.

As much as I like the blues and swing and all the formats they have at the festival, nothing tops the classic quartet or quintet.  I managed to find just what I was looking for in the Donald Harrison Quintet.  They were this great band from New Orleans that, unlike most NO performers, were not tinged with a zydeco background.  I sat through most of their set and after grabbing a bite to eat, I sat in on a jazz clinic.  They were going over improvisation skills using some Sonny Rollins tunes.  After a while Adam had called to say he was making his way to Campus Maritus.

I took very few photos this weekend despite how much went on.  I guess I was too much in the now to record any of it.  Luckily others did and I hope they will share with me what they took.  What I do have will be on flickr soon.

Sunday was Sara and Bill’s wedding.  It was a very long day for me, so I cant imagine the two of them.  I took Lauren to the salon where Sara and the other bridesmaids were getting their hair done.  The smell of cigarettes and hairspray got me really sick, so I went home and laid down for a bit.  We got to Sterling Inn at 4  The photographer was there all day and I swear she took my picture about 50 times while in one of the rooms.  While the room with all the women was complete chaos; Lance, Kevin, Karl and I just sat and talked until it was time to change (and yes the photographer was there for that, too).

6 o’clock came and we started the ceremony.  The ceremony was something I had never experienced before.  They performed a variety of wedding rituals and I learned most of the history behind them.  We moved two rooms down to the reception.  It was a good time with great food and music.  It was nice to witness a wedding where the two were truly in love and were married not because it was ‘the next step’, but because they truly wanted it.

Congratulations Bill and Sara Waldecker.