Tag Archives: PJ Morton

Demi Lovato to Perform at This Year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

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Demi Lovato is getting jazzed for the fall…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actor will perform at the 2021 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in October.

Demi Lovato

Lovato joins a roster of performers that includes Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, Lizzo, H.E.R. and Brandi Carlile.

Organizers have announced that the festival, which annually celebrates the culture and heritage of New Orleans and Louisiana alongside performances by national and international artists, is scheduled over two weekends in the fall from October 8-10 and October 15-17. Approximately 50 of the artists who will take the stage have been announced, while the full lineup will be presented next month.

Lizzo, Foo Fighters, Stevie Nicks, H.E.R., Dead & Company, The Black Crowes, Norah Jones, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Wu-Tang Clan feat. The Soul Rebels, Tank and The Bangas, The Isley Brothers, Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia and PJ Morton are among the performers who were previously set for the 2020 edition of the festival, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Orleans Jazz Fest traditionally takes place at the end of April and early May for eight days and was once again scheduled for that time of year but was postponed due to COVID-19.

Additional performers include Jimmy Buffett, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ludacris, Jon Batiste, Brittany Howard, Randy Newman and Nile Rodgers & CHIC.

Three-day weekend general admission passes, VIP packages and travel packages for the 2021 New Orleans Jazz Festival are currently on sale at nojazzfest.com. Single-day passes will go on sale in July.

Those who purchased the VIP and weekend packages for the 2020 festival and held on to their tickets will receive an email from the ticketing company with instructions on how to exchange their tickets for the weekend of their choosing. Single-day ticket-holders can make their selections when information about this year’s single-day passes is available next month.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation Inc. is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest, and other raised funds, for year‐round activities in education, economic development and cultural enrichment. The annual event is a co‐production of Festival Productions, Inc.‐New Orleans and AEG Presents.

Jhené Aiko to Host the Grammy Awards’ Premiere Ceremony

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Jhené Aiko is makin’ a little Grammy history…

The 32-year-old part-Spanish and part-Dominican American singer will host the Grammy Awards’ Premiere Ceremony, taking place at noon PT on March 14, where the vast majority of the Grammys are awarded.

Jhené Aiko

At 5:00 pm, Aiko will shift her attention to the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, where her Chilombo is nominated for album of the year.

This is the first time the host of the Premiere Ceremony has been an album of the year nominee.

Chilombo is also nominated for best progressive R&B album. Aiko has a third nomination this year, best R&B performance for “Lightning & Thunder.”

Aiko will be compensated for her efforts, as will all seven performers at the Premiere Ceremony, who are all current Grammy nominees.

The performers (and the categories in which they are nominated) are Burna Boy (best global music album for Twice As Tall), Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science (best jazz instrumental album for The Waiting Game), Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (best traditional blues album for Cypress Grove), pianist Igor Levit (best classical instrumental solo for Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas), Lido Pimienta (best Latin rock or alternative album for Miss Colombia), Poppy (best metal performance for “Bloodmoney”) and Rufus Wainwright (best traditional pop vocal album for Unfollow the Rules).

Kicking off the event will be a performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Marvin Gaye classic “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).”

The artists who will perform the song are Grammy nominees], including Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, Thana Alexa, John Beasley, Camilo, Regina Carter, Alexandre Desplat, Bebel Gilberto, Lupita Infante, Sarah Jarosz, Mykal Kilgore, Ledisi, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, PJ Morton, Gregory Porter, Grace Potter, säje, Gustavo Santaolalla (Bajofondo), Anoushka Shankar, and Kamasi Washington.

“Mercy Mercy Me” was one of the standout tracks on Gaye’s landmark album, What’s Going On. The album was severely under-recognized at the Grammys for 1971. Gaye’s only nomination that year was for another track on the album, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” which was nominated for best R&B vocal performance, male.

Bill Burr, Chika, Infante and Jimmy Jam, former Recording Academy chair, will present the first Grammy Awards of the day.

Imogen Heap hosted last year’s Premiere Ceremony. Shaggy hosted the event two years ago.

The Premiere Ceremony will stream live internationally on Grammy.com. The Grammy telecast will be broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ from 8:00–11:30 p.m. ET and 5:00–8:30 p.m. PT.