Jazz clarinetist Orange Kellin remembers playing the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1970, when small crowds turned out to see a handful of performances.
The first Jazz Fest had four stages for gospel, jazz, and Cajun and zydeco performers.
Now, 45 years later, Jazz Fest opens Friday with 12 stages where more than 500 acts and 5,000 individual performers will entertain over the course of two weekends: Friday through Sunday and May 1-4 .
Besides local acts like Kellin, who now performs with his own band, the festival card has big names including Carlos Santana, Christina Aguilera, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau and Public Enemy.
Three stages are tied to New Orleans jazz and Louisiana culture, with at least 27 brass bands, many Mardi Gras Indian troupes and more than 50 gospel groups with roughly 2,000 singers.
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