The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announced the full roster today for this year’s wingding at the Fairgrounds, and some major star power is juicing up the bill. Besides the previously announced return of the Neville Brothers, plus Tim McGraw and Frankie Beverly & Maze, this year we’ll also see a few A-list collaborations. Notably, Fats Domino fan Robert Plant will be performing with bluegrass queen Alison Krauss on the heels of their 2007 album together, Raising Sand; Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello will also be reprising the live partnership that wowed crowds at the 2006 Fest.Other notables include Dr. John, the urban soul siren Keyshia Cole, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow and Jack White’s garage-rock outfit the Raconteurs. Click here for a full day-by-day listing.

I have to say I was beyond doubtful that the Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters would be able to reach me here in Germany. They actually mailed my ballot for February 9th presidential primary within reasonable time to get it back to them by the election day deadline. Considering Louisiana bureaucracy lately, especially when its on a collaboration with the federal level, this is a minor miracle. I suppose my ballot still has to make it there and get counted, so it’s not over yet.

Leading up to this bright white envelope, the state parties successfully made me buck my independent status as a voter for this election, sending in a fax to register with the Democrats. Does anyone know if there’s a chance that they’d open things up to “independent” voters as other states do? I’ve always been so proudly an independent and plan on playing this little registration game as such. Read the rest of this entry »