Vendredi

by Brad Rhines

It’s hard to imagine New Orleans without Jazz Fest, but the annual event has a relatively short history. The first fest happened in 1970 at Congo Square, before moving to the Fairgrounds two years later.  The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) has unearthed footage from the inaugural festival and will present a free screening of these early films at the U.S. Mint on Wednesday night.

The footage was shot by Don Perry, one of the founders of the New Orleans Jazz Club and a local TV cameraman.  Originally shot as seven individual reels of 16 mm film, Perry donated his Jazz Fest footage to the Louisiana State Museum in 1978, and the National Film Preservation Foundation recently provided the Museum with a grant to cover the costs of digitizing the film.  According to a film synopsis from NOFS, “the performances encompass every style of music associated with the city and state, including blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, rock, rap, country, and bluegrass, with a great deal of jazz, both contemporary and traditional.”

The free screening starts at 7:30 on the grassy lawn of the Mint near the Decatur Street fence.  Food trucks will be set up in the French Market, so organizers ask folks not to bring outside food or drink, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

For more information, visit the NOFS website.