Photo: Jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins will headline the 2014 Highland Jazz and Blues Festival in Shreveport.
On Friday, August 1, organizers of the annual Highland Jazz and Blues Festival announced that legendary jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins would be headlining their festival on Saturday, November 15, 2014 in Shreveport’s Columbia Park. This news came hot on the heels of New Orleans’ Rebirth Brass Band announcing an October 25 tour stop at Bears on Fairfield, a venue that is also hosting a performance by New Orleans soul icons Lee Fields and the Expressions on September 23. The Red River Revel also recently posted their entertainment line-up for 2014, which includes a performance by New Orleans’ Washitaw Nation Mardi Gras Indians at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 5. All in all, that’s a lot of N.O. vibe being piped into Shreveport-Bossier this Fall, and word on the street is there are similar bookings in the works.
Of all of these events, the one that I’d most encourage readers to try to attend is the Lee Fields and the Expressions show on September 23. It’s a Tuesday night, but how many opportunities do you get to see a soul singer who has been touring since 1969? To top it off, the night will get started with a performance by Shreveport’s own Seratones, winners of the 2013 Louisiana Music Prize, who recently recorded their debut album at Blade Studios. Fronted by the powerful vocalist and guitarist A.J. Haynes, Seratones are highly likely to take full advantage of this opportunity to open for an honest-to-goodness soul pioneer. Tickets are available now for the Lee Fields and the Expressions show.
