Have you ever been experienced? Not necessarily stoned, just . . . beautiful?

Spinning . . .

Between the two weekends of the Jazz Fest, New Orleans is hopping with music at other venues.  On Thursday, Adrienne, Bill and I went over to The Columns Hotel on St. Charles where Morikeba Kouyate, master of the kora, an African gourd harp, was sitting in with guitarist John Rankin.

It was awesome.

Shawn Sahm, the late Doug Sahm’s son, fronts the latest version of his dad’s group The Texas Tornados.  Freddy Fender, another original member, is gone now, too — but Flaco Jiménez and Augie Meyers, two legends in their own right, are still there kicking ass on the old classics they helped create.

As soon as the band started playing at the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year every little girl in the audience jumped to her feet and started dancing — a sight to cheer any heart.