More on New Orleans' Jazz Fest

James Tata posted a link to an article about this year's Jazz Fest, but more broadly about the city in general. The excerpt he posted is great (I haven't read the whole article yet), and the passage that really caught my eye is this (my emphasis):

But Donald Harrison, well known as both a jazz saxophonist and the Congo Nation big chief, sees the moment as pivotal. "What's happening in New Orleans right now is a test for the soul of America," he said ... "If we say the cultural roots of this city are unimportant, then America is unimportant."

Amen to that.