Best of Show... Day Six

This is an easy one… Paul Simon – Alan Toussaint – Irma Thomas on the Acura Stage singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Simon, like most of the big artists from out of town that came to the big stage, brought to JazzFest the music that he connected to New Orleans in the Graceland album (now on the verge of it's 20th anniversary). Whereas that album utilized Clifton Chenier, Simon, this time commandeered the talents of Buckwheat Zydeco to provide the cajun flavor. His new material, from an album just released yesterday, was also topically relevant, particularly when it came to the song "How Can You" which even asks the question "how can you live on a river when the levees give way?"

But it wasn't until his encore with Thomas and Toussaint that the emotions, so close to the surface all weekend, erupted. Those three folks – two locals and a sympathetic New Yorker – demonstrated the longevity and depth of that classic Simon and Garfunkel song from a quarter century ago. The crowd, mashed together in mud and sweat, stood still and silent (mostly), absorbing the depth of passion and compassion that the song is meant to engage. It was one of the great moments in ten days of moments.

It was a tribute, an offering, and a gift.