21 Comments
User's avatar
Joel K's avatar

The stage-workers saw your beautiful blue eyes and couldn’t refuse your set list request! You are the master at acquiring set lists ❤️🎸💯

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

100 percent 😉

Expand full comment
Wayne Robins's avatar

Hi Jessica: I just got the Jazzfest lineup, and I'm not stoked at all. Cranky old boomer here! Top line artists: Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons, Lizzo, Dead & Co., the Lumineers...yeesh, at least not for Jazzfest. You've gotta go to the small print to find the regional acts that belong at Jazzfest, where it's OK to spend the entire weekend in the Gospel Tent. It was mo' fun chasing around Eddie Bo and Ernie K. Doe while the tourists gathered at Santana (here again 2023).

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

Ha! I know, but you would find me (if I was going) at The Fais Do-Do, always.

Expand full comment
The Hampshire Hipster's avatar

Hi Wayne! David Sokol here. I read this and wanted to quote my longtime friend Brett Milano, who used to write for me decades ago when he was still in college. When the JazzFest lineup came out, he posted: "Jazzfest lineup in a nutshell: Tom Jones and a bunch of other people." Cracked me up!

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

Ha! Cracks me up, too!

Expand full comment
Wayne Robins's avatar

Hi David! Great to hear from you. Thanks for the note. All of these festivals have to draw from such a “mainstream” audience. But Jazzfest used to not even need superstars, people would just go. Corporate music business strikes again. Ed Sheeran is a nice man, I’m sure, but in N’awlins? No. My rule: if Nola’s WWOZ doesn’t play it, it shouldn’t be at the Fest.

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

I agree, but WWOZ has been hosting Festing in Place for JazzFest the last few years, and it's been as awesome as it could be hearing it from our little neck of the woods in Western MA!

Expand full comment
Wayne Robins's avatar

Yeah, but would they play the ugh, Lumineers🤣

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

I want to say fuck no, but??? 😉

Expand full comment
The Hampshire Hipster's avatar

I love this remarkable, and I think historic, setlist. Such a treasure, and you annotate and honor it beautifully.

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

Why thank you! I must find my photos from that year at Blues Fest!

Expand full comment
Kevin Alexander's avatar

Thanks for the signal boost! I really appreciate it! :)

Years ago, I was a crew chief at my airline. One of my jobs was assigning relief coverage when people were absent. It got to the point where I would just ask the guys what night they were planning to go to Bluesfest (and the BrewFest, when there was still just the one), so I could cover the next morning ahead of time.

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

You are so welcome. :) I loved/hated BrewFest! Btw, my husband was a flight attendant (for 15 years!) and retired during the pandemic. He was based in PDX for some of that time! Were you a pilot?

Expand full comment
Kevin Alexander's avatar

No, I was (and still am) on the ground. I gave a LOT of thought to hitting the exit during the pandemic, but decided to ride it out for a while longer. These days, I spend most of my time working in Operations. If I can ask, what airline did he work for?

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

He worked for SkyWest (American, Alaska, Delta, and United).

Expand full comment
Kevin Alexander's avatar

Nice! I was at Northwest while in PDX (and now Delta via the merger).

Expand full comment
Wayne Robins's avatar

I’m gonna visit you with my Delta SkyMiles, Kevin!

Expand full comment
Kevin Alexander's avatar

Right on!

Expand full comment
Janis's avatar

What a fantastic set list. And, the story behind the scenes. 😍. Cheers to AT, one of the best. 🎶 🎹💕

Expand full comment
Jessica B. Sokol's avatar

Thank you, and absolutely!

Expand full comment