The Rolling Stones' age-defying 2024 Jazz Fest show went 'from old to new' with Irma Thomas

The band performed to huge crowd at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans

BY KEITH SPERA
May 2.2024


Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune

By either five or 60 years, the Rolling Stones’ tour de force at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival completed a circle.

Their 18-song, two-hour, age-defying performance at the Fair Grounds fell exactly five years to the day after the Stones were initially booked for Jazz Fest’s 50th anniversary in 2019, only to cancel so Mick Jagger could undergo heart surgery.

“We finally made it!” he enthused from the stage.

And exactly 60 years after the Rolling Stones adapted New Orleans soul queen Irma Thomas’ arrangement of “Time Is On My Side” as their first Top 10 American hit, they sang it with her for the first time.

In the context of music history, Thomas sharing a stage with the Stones was profound. The British Invasion, with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles at the vanguard, largely turned American teenagers away from rhythm & blues, even though the Brits themselves were huge fans.

“We heard this great song in 1964,” Jagger said five songs into the Jazz Fest show, setting up Thomas’ appearance.

The Rolling Stones hadn’t performed “Time Is On My Side” in years. But they understood the impact of singing it with Thomas at Jazz Fest. They rehearsed with her Wednesday, then made a Jazz Fest moment for the ages on Thursday.

Jagger sang counterpoint to Thomas, then harmonized with her on the “time, time, time” refrain. “What a treat,” he said when it was over.

No small crowd witnessed the historic moment. Thursday ticket sales were reportedly capped at 40,000 for what became the first sellout in Jazz Fest history.

Crowd size was on par with Elton John in 2015. But since then, the festival has improved its crowd management technique. On Thursday, blankets, tarps and all but small collapsible chairs were banned. Initially at least, security enforced a no-chair zone on all but the field’s perimeter. In the show’s second hour, once you got past the crush up front, it was possible to bob and weave along semi-clear paths all the way to the back.

Mother Nature cooperated with a consistent cloud cover that kept the heat at bay and the barest dusting of a drizzle that resolved itself in a rainbow.

For the occasion, the Festival Stage got a Stones makeover, with a new T-shaped runway and a new backdrop depicting the Stones’ tongue alongside Jazz Fest’s logo. But the bas relief sculpture of New Orleans piano patron saint Professor Longhair was in its proper place, looking down from the stage’s peak.
azz Fest typically features local bands ahead of headliners. Preceding the Stones were the New Breed Brass Band with Trombone Shorty, blues-rock guitarist Samantha Fish and Dumpstaphunk.

One of Dumpstaphunk’s two bassists, Nick Daniels III, died last week at 68 of complications from blood cancer. His five-string bass guitar sat onstage in silent tribute to him. Keyboardist Ivan Neville, an alumni of Keith Richards’ side project the X-Pensive Winos, said everything the band will do going forward will be in honor of Daniels.

The Stones arrived in their expanded backstage compound – the dirt track was closed behind the Festival Stage – via a police-escorted convoy at 2:30 p.m. At 5:05 p.m., years of effort and planning by Jazz Fest producer/director Quint Davis and his team finally came to fruition.

The Rolling Stones launched the tour for their acclaimed 2023 album “Hackney Diamonds” on Sunday in Houston. New Orleans was only the second of the tour’s 19 dates, and the only daytime, festival appearance. “We haven’t done a matinee show in years,” Jagger quipped.

Fresh and fired up, they made the most of it from the opening chords of “Start Me Up."

Jagger, at 80, remains a whirling dervish of a frontman – he still moves like Jagger. His voice was strong, as was his energy. And he’s still mischievous.

Noting that Gov. Jeff Landry was apparently in attendance, he said, “We want to include him too, even if he wants to take us back to the Stone Age.”

The Stones found fresh purpose on “Hackney Diamonds” and reveled in veering from, in Jagger’s words, “old to new.” “Out of Time,” from 1966, gave way to a stout “Angry,” the first “Hackney Diamonds” single. They followed “Time Is On My Side” with the “Hackney Diamonds” highlight “Whole Wide World,” spiked by an energized Wood’s solo.

“From 1964,” Jagger said, “to 2024.”

Prior to Thomas’ appearance, they brought out zydeco bandleader Dwayne Dopsie to add accordion to a quasi-acoustic “Let It Bleed.” It worked.

The Stones surround themselves with top-flight musicians. After drummer Charlie Watts’ death in 2021, Steve Jordan, also an X-Pensive Wino, took over the drum chair. He and bassist Darryl Jones formed the rock-solid rhythm section upon which Jagger, Ronnie Wood and Richards could strut.

Wood did much of the heavy lifting on guitar, but Richards contributed more than he did at the Superdome in 2019. The Rolling Stones are old school – every sound blasting from the speakers is being made live, by humans. It may not be precise, but it’s real, including the French horn that ushered in a spectacular “Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Richards took a turn on vocals for “Little T&A,” but the star non-Jagger singer was Chanel Haynes. The New Orleans native, who previously starred in a Tina Turner musical tribute, tore up a brooding “Gimme Shelter” with Jagger.

The late-set hit parade was one gem after another. During an extended, disco-grooved “Miss You,” a fired-up Jagger tossed his guitar to a crew member, then blew a bout of harmonica. Jones took a solo, as did tenor saxophonists Karl Denson and Tim Ries.

The 1960s sitar-toned “Paint It Black” served as a reminder of just how long the Stones have been rolling. The urgency with which Richards struck the opening chord of the following “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” demonstrated that these Stones aren’t gathering moss.

Further proving the point: The six-minute, slow-burn, gospel-tinged workout of the new “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” that opened the encore. Jordan drove the final “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” hard.

Can’t get no satisfaction? You certainly can when the Rolling Stones play Jazz Fest.

[www.nola.com]

Photos: Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune

Whole Wide World is such a great showcase for Ronnie. For that alone it's worth keeping in the set.

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downagain
Whole Wide World is such a great showcase for Ronnie. For that alone it's worth keeping in the set.

A much better choice over Mess It Up which was simply flat in Houston.

Photos: Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-05-04 13:34 by bye bye johnny.

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JMARKO

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downagain
Whole Wide World is such a great showcase for Ronnie. For that alone it's worth keeping in the set.

A much better choice over Mess It Up which was simply flat in Houston.

I would agree that they are pulling off WWW much better. With that said, I'd like to see them do Mess It Up with Mick playing guitar through the whole thing.

Rolling Stones Perform ‘Time Is on My Side’ With New Orleans Legend Irma Thomas at Steamy Jazz Fest: Concert Review

By Caryn Rose
May 3, 2024



“We haven’t done a matinee show in years,” Mick Jagger observed drolly, halfway through The Rolling Stones’ first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Thursday evening. As usual, the Stones began their set with “Start Me Up” — but shortly after 5 p.m., launching into an early but enthusiastic 18-song set of old hits and new numbers from 2023’s “Hackney Diamonds,” and a couple of local surprises in honor of the occasion.

Jagger began the evening wearing a glittery turquoise jacket with a red tuxedo shirt underneath, but the jacket didn’t survive past the second song, “Get Off of My Cloud”: The New Orleans skies were overcast — there was a 40% chance of rain that cast sporadic drops throughout the Stones’ performance — but it was warm and very muggy out at the fairgrounds, and the Stones’ stagewear became a casualty of their unconventional appearance. Jagger soon stripped down to a long-sleeved black t-shirt, guitarist Ronnie Wood abandoned a layer of sparkles, and drummer Steve Jordan had to give up on his elegant suit jacket. There were a lot of water bottles visible, and Jagger called for a towel more than once.

All of these external factors meant that although it wasn’t the tightest set the Stones have performed in recent years, it still was special. Jagger headed out to the catwalk during “Out of Time,” determined to get the crowd to wave their arms in time along with him. “Angry,” the first single from “Hackney Diamonds,” saw Jagger donning a guitar and announcing that we were going from old to new. “So we finally made it,” he noted at the song’s conclusion, referring to the trials and tribulations it took to finally get the Stones to New Orleans for the Fest, beginning with their originally slated appearance for the festival’s 50th year in 2019. But then Jagger needed heart surgery and an entire leg of that tour was postponed, including Jazz Fest. Their appearance was rescheduled for 2020, only to have that derailed when the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fact that they were able to make this appearance happen in 2024 is some form of kismet, but it’s also a testimony to the band’s enthusiasm towards the festival itself. Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis told Variety, “This gives you an idea of how badly they really wanted to do it. But all these things had to coincide: they had to be going back on tour; they had to be going on tour in America, which they don’t always do; they had to be going back on tour in America in April, and able to start in the south. All those things had to line up together to make Thursday happen.”

For “Let it Bleed,” the Stones welcomed Dwayne Dopsie, the self-proclaimed “King of Accordion” and leader of the Zydeco Hellraisers. It was hard to figure out who was having more fun with this particular arrangement, him or the individual Stones. The ever-reliable Ron Wood — who covered many bases during the evening’s performance — moved to lap steel and the band gave Dopsie the solo spot; Keith Richards seemed to just barely graze his guitar strings (not that the song needed more) while beaming at their guest. Jazz Fest always welcomes a crowd from far beyond New Orleans, but there were still plenty of locals in the crowd, and there was a palpable feeling of pride at watching one of their own onstage with the international superstars.

But that particular “one of us!” vibe would ratchet way up with the next guest, none other than the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” Irma Thomas. Thomas originally recorded “Time Is on My Side,” a song the young Stones turned into one of their earliest hits. “We heard this great song in 1964,” Jagger said, confirming the worst-kept secret in New Orleans, as Thomas was escorted onto the stage and took her place alongside the band. It was one of those rare moments where Mick Jagger was not in control of his stage. Thomas is a Jazz Fest regular, with her shows at the Gospel Tent always a must-see and a highlight of any festival weekend. At 83, she is still a poised and commanding presence, and nothing about that changed because she was now onstage with the Rolling Stones. Jagger mostly provided vocal support and harmony for Thomas’ vocals. Their version of “Time Is on My Side” was pretty much a note-for-note cover of her version, but in a sadly common syndrome of the era, theirs was the hit. At least some karmic balance was achieved on Thursday.

The “Hackney Diamonds” songs hold their own throughout the set, probably because the Stones are at the point where they’ve finally accepted that they don’t have anything left to prove and can just have fun. The catchy “Whole Wide World” followed “Time Is on My Side” and the first encore number was the beautiful, gospel-tinged “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” It’s a song that a New Orleans audience would have welcomed had it been in the middle of the set, but sequencing it in the end between the massive hits when half the audience is packing up and getting ready to leave didn’t give it a fighting chance, although it is further enhanced by participation of new backing singer Chanel Haynes, a New Orleans local, filling Lady Gaga’s role on the studio version. Haynes’ solo spot in “Gimme Shelter” earlier in the set was one of the more memorable ones in recent years, with a passionate delivery and strong control of a formidable instrument. She also has fantastic chemistry with Jagger and the two stalked the catwalk and engaged the crowd during one of the best moments of the set.

The crowd was audibly excited when the french horn began the intro to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and Mick complimented the audience on their participation at its conclusion. This was the moment when he began talking about how “We’re a welcoming crowd, aren’t we?” and then segued into a comment welcoming Louisiana governor Jeff Landry. “We want to include him too, even if he wants to take us back to the Stone Age,” he quipped, then immediately segued into introducing the ancillary musicians onstage with the Stones. (Mick, next time, consider “Street Fighting Man.”)

Next up was Keith Richards’ nightly solo spot. On this night, that honor went to “Little T&A” from 1981’s “Tattoo You,” in a version that included the horn section. It wasn’t the crispest version of a song that’s already fairly laid-back, but it was late in the set and was likely a casualty of the heat. Keith Richards was one of the few musicians onstage who remained in his full regalia of long-sleeve satin shirt (in various colors) as well as a red knit beanie all night. Richards was grinning ear to ear all night long, even if his contributions weren’t as strong as they’ve been in recent years.

“Sympathy for the Devil” is always a powerful moment in a Stones show, but its intensity unquestionably suffered by being performed in broad daylight. Jagger donned a ringmaster’s jacket that shimmered with blue and green sequins like a mermaid’s tail, but he only wore it as long as the moment demanded. “Miss You” fared better, even though Jagger would have been better off eschewing the electric guitar he dons for the briefest of moments for the harmonica he picked up at the end, at least in New Orleans where a large majority of the audience has genuine appreciation and respect for a good harp player; there was audible applause when he finished. Darryl Jones executed a colorful bass solo on command, with Jagger punching him playfully in the shoulder in approval when he finished.

Despite the heat and daylight, the band found its second wind in the back half of the set. “Honky Tonk Women” was sharp, less raunchy than celebratory. “Paint It Black” felt fresh and vibrant, and Richards was absolutely dominant during “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” He always seems to find a new way to hit those unmistakable chords and they rang out with authority across the fairgrounds. It was a moment where you realize you are hearing the person who wrote the song that you have heard hundreds, even thousands of times, play the chords live and in front of you. The show ended with “Satisfaction,” which was full of verve and genuine excitement both onstage and in the audience. It’s the song that everybody wants to see the Rolling Stones perform, even if they don’t consciously know it walking into the concert; there’s always such a collective sigh of, well, satisfaction when it’s performed.

The ensemble bowed and then the three core Stones came to the front for a separate acknowledgement. Of course, the band sorely misses the late Charlie Watts, the band’s original drummer and its true jazz aficionado (he visited the New Orleans Jazz Museum when the Stones were in town back in 2019), who passed away in 2021. They usually begin the show with a video tribute to their fallen comrade but it was absent here, probably due to time or production constraints. But on this day in New Orleans, as ever, his spirit was unquestionably with them.

Setlist: Start Me Up / Get Off of My Cloud / Out Of Time / Angry / Let It Bleed / Time Is On My Side / Whole Wide World / Tumbling Dice / You Can’t Always Get What You Want / Little T&A / Sympathy For The Devil / Honky Tonk Women / Miss You / Gimme Shelter / Paint It Black / Jumpin’ Jack Flash / encore: Sweet Sounds of Heaven / Satisfaction

[variety.com]

[www.shreveporttimes.com]

Out of Time --- New Orleans

Very good version. Amped up a bit. More enthusiastic choruses and more lively and enthusiastic Mick/ But the marimbas are still buried compared to the studio version 1965. Pisses me off! This is clear video shot 60 ft away from the stage. So no video of the mega-LED screens is here or needed.

Out of Time- The Rolling Stones live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz Fest






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-05-03 19:52 by triceratops.

What a great,special show, just from seeing the vids!!!
New songs and two noteworthy guests.

~"Love is Strong"~

How was the rendition of « Whole Wide World » which is my favorite title from HD.
An instant Stones song with a great solo from Ronnie.
Does a YouTube exists for that song.

Yes, there is.

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triceratops
Out of Time --- New Orleans

Very good version. Amped up a bit. More enthusiastic choruses and more lively and enthusiastic Mick/ But the marimbas are still buried compared to the studio version 1965. Pisses me off! This is clear video shot 60 ft away from the stage. So no video of the mega-LED screens is here or needed.

Out of Time- The Rolling Stones live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz Fest

They should lower the pitch with a whole tone.

Thx

I wish and hope Mick will stick with the credo of “It’s only rock’n roll and we like it” instead of going into politics.(I never heard of their govenor before). Its enough of an embarrasment that he decided to cancel Brown Sugar (but at least we saw that Keith has learned the art of being diplomaticnwith his comments and obvious dissagreement over that decision).

Anyways, at least Jeff Laundry didn’t make it dirty and didn’t hint at stuff like if Micks hairdye finally got to his brain or certain experimental fluids etc.

Anyway, if Mick is going political, I look forward to his comments in California, New York, Chicago and Florida. Too bad they are not playing Washington DC ;-)

He could learn something from BV about not mixing rock’n roll and politics.

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Bjorn
Yes, there is.

Found it ! Thx. Hope they’ll keep it.

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Testify

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keefriffhards
We didn't get Tell Me Straight.
I'm out of here, it's Mick's show now and good luck to him, Keith has no input, it's not the Stones, i didn't sign up for that, but enjoy for all those who did.

Then it wasn't even the Stones in the 70s, when Keith barely sang a song per concert!

It's not jus about Keith being demoted to one song, it's his lack of imput into the Stones that's the problem, from only writing 2 or 3 tracks on the new album to not having any involvement with song selection on tours etc. He was the driving force writing musically in the 70s, he drove the band and the band sounded the way he wanted it to sound.
That's not the case now and it's been that way for decades.
And to say now he doesn't get a chance to sing a new song from the album to make room, and no Rambler, i mean come on.

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MichaelLassen
I wish and hope Mick will stick with the credo of “It’s only rock’n roll and we like it” instead of going into politics.(I never heard of their govenor before).

I was surprised that Mick was advising the audience in Houston to vote in November. Pretty tasteless from a Brit and a tax dodger...

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cyclist

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MichaelLassen
I wish and hope Mick will stick with the credo of “It’s only rock’n roll and we like it” instead of going into politics.(I never heard of their govenor before).

I was surprised that Mick was advising the audience in Houston to vote in November. Pretty tasteless from a Brit and a tax dodger...

I would have thought you got that out of your system with Exile on Main Street? He didn't say who to vote for, just to vote. Free speech, right?

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keefriffhards

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Testify

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keefriffhards
We didn't get Tell Me Straight.
I'm out of here, it's Mick's show now and good luck to him, Keith has no input, it's not the Stones, i didn't sign up for that, but enjoy for all those who did.

Then it wasn't even the Stones in the 70s, when Keith barely sang a song per concert!

It's not jus about Keith being demoted to one song, it's his lack of imput into the Stones that's the problem, from only writing 2 or 3 tracks on the new album to not having any involvement with song selection on tours etc. He was the driving force writing musically in the 70s, he drove the band and the band sounded the way he wanted it to sound.
That's not the case now and it's been that way for decades.
And to say now he doesn't get a chance to sing a new song from the album to make room, and no Rambler, i mean come on.

‘Out of here’ didn’t last long

Keith gave a lot of input into Hackney Diamonds.
He is playing very good guitar these days.
E.g. solos on sympathy are better than in 2006/2007.
He is mostly focused and enjoying driving the crowd with his riffs.
He still has a unique timing and feel that can be heard well.
What more you want at this stage of his career.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-05-03 22:33 by jumpingjackflash5.

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yorkshirestone

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keefriffhards

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Testify

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keefriffhards
We didn't get Tell Me Straight.
I'm out of here, it's Mick's show now and good luck to him, Keith has no input, it's not the Stones, i didn't sign up for that, but enjoy for all those who did.

Then it wasn't even the Stones in the 70s, when Keith barely sang a song per concert!

It's not jus about Keith being demoted to one song, it's his lack of imput into the Stones that's the problem, from only writing 2 or 3 tracks on the new album to not having any involvement with song selection on tours etc. He was the driving force writing musically in the 70s, he drove the band and the band sounded the way he wanted it to sound.
That's not the case now and it's been that way for decades.
And to say now he doesn't get a chance to sing a new song from the album to make room, and no Rambler, i mean come on.

‘Out of here’ didn’t last long

No I'm definitely out. You don't mind one last post in reply.

Little T and A goes in F in the chorus and C in the verses. Wonder why Ronnie writes Bb in his setlist.

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treaclefingers

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cyclist

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MichaelLassen
I wish and hope Mick will stick with the credo of “It’s only rock’n roll and we like it” instead of going into politics.(I never heard of their govenor before).

I was surprised that Mick was advising the audience in Houston to vote in November. Pretty tasteless from a Brit and a tax dodger...

I would have thought you got that out of your system with Exile on Main Street? He didn't say who to vote for, just to vote. Free speech, right?

It’s always funny how a certain political party in threatened by someone saying “vote in November”…

Anyway, JazzFest was worth the 5 year wait. Rainy day in NOLA today, so we kicked out yesterday!

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yorkshirestone

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keefriffhards

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Testify

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keefriffhards
We didn't get Tell Me Straight.
I'm out of here, it's Mick's show now and good luck to him, Keith has no input, it's not the Stones, i didn't sign up for that, but enjoy for all those who did.

Then it wasn't even the Stones in the 70s, when Keith barely sang a song per concert!

It's not jus about Keith being demoted to one song, it's his lack of imput into the Stones that's the problem, from only writing 2 or 3 tracks on the new album to not having any involvement with song selection on tours etc. He was the driving force writing musically in the 70s, he drove the band and the band sounded the way he wanted it to sound.
That's not the case now and it's been that way for decades.
And to say now he doesn't get a chance to sing a new song from the album to make room, and no Rambler, i mean come on.

‘Out of here’ didn’t last long

...too long on the original LP....

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MichaelLassen
I wish and hope Mick will stick with the credo of “It’s only rock’n roll and we like it” instead of going into politics.

He could learn something from BV about not mixing rock’n roll and politics.

Kind of wish you would do the same thing. No real need for you to bring it up either...yet you did.

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bye bye johnny








Photos: Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune

Steve busting out a gorgeous, vintage 60's Gretsch round badge kit. Sir Charles would be very proud.

Interesting that GS moved up 2 places in the Setlist, I’d move it up one more personally but where it’s at now is way better than where it was in Houston.

I personally think Keith having 1 song is a simple explanation;
To keep the show timed right & with the inclusion of SSOH length,
They dropped 1 of Keith’s song.

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

I just finished watching the YouTube videos of New Orleans. Everyone seemed to be on and focused for Let It Bleed. Sweet Sounds Of Heaven was excellent. I also enjoyed Darryl's bass and Mick's harp on Miss You. Whole Wide World sounded surprisingly great. It's tight. I loved the beefy bass. It's a song that kind of has a rock and a ballad feel at the same time.