The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and I have a long and magical relationship. We have danced countless times together, seen a myriad of shows (many within a 24-hour period), danced to many sunsets, seen many sunrises, and had so many moments of sheer bliss that it’s like I have an endless supply of tonic from the fountain of youth. What I took away from my 25th Jazz Fest is the bond and quality of the friendships formed during the past quarter-century. Smiles, conversation, history. Now, with each my kids notching a decade of Jazz Fests under their belts, the cycle of Festing continues strong in the Jurick family. I can’t tell you how proud I am to see their joy and dancing and laughter – they can’t WAIT to go to New Orleans every year. Here’s a handful of photographs from this year’s slice of the good life. Enjoy…

With Yo Ticket in Yer Hand, You Gotsa Go to New Orleans…
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Kids were a big part of this year’s festival for us. We took our own, danced with our friends’ own kids, and met some new beautiful friends along the way into the fairgrounds each day
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Walking into the Fairgounds on the first day, we got a little Indian-horn-mojo-magic with the mighty Free Agents
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Can there be anything better than the Crawfish Po-Boy? I could (and did) eat 2 each day
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Sunset reggae action with Ziggy Marley – the kids were dancing like crazy at the end of his set
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Our kids’ sitter, Alex was a rock star
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Anything more beautiful to my eyes?
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Best shirt I saw the entire weekend
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Florence & The Machine put my girls into a trance
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Alex took us to the New Orleans community art house for a wicked cool treehouse experience. The kids (and I) couldn’t believe the amazing fun we were having post Fest first day – look at this craziness! Took the owners 3 years to make this thing
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Let’s get this day started right!
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
All smiles at Jazz Fest
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Cajun dancin’ at Fais Do Do
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
My girl loved Jazz Fest so much she was bending over backwards
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Sunset on the Mississippi – view from the Windsor, oh how sweet you were to us this weekend!
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
My beautiful in the sunset sillouette
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Truly there are few live shows more searing (and soaking wet hot) than Dave Malone cooking up the Maple Leaf. Everyone was drenched inside that place! Thanks Shari Frank for putting on a killer show for the Krewe of Crawfish Stew
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Only Eric Krasno goes toe to toe with Camille for the ultimate shredding face
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Where there’s funk, there’s Adam Deitch
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
My Boy Mark Rechler in the right place at the right time!
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
The intimacy of the Leaf in one frame
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
The proof of 5 shows in 1 night
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Hang in there another 8 years kids, you’ll be allowed into the holy temple of music just 10 feet away from your back. Until then, keep posing like you are too cool for the place.
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Extremely rare photo of yours truly
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
Jazz Fest is truly heavenly
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick
I was the official ambassador of Rock Paper Photo while in New Orleans. In honor of the Original Meters performance (first time in 30 years the 4 original members of the seminal funk band played together on the same stage), we printed up this beautiful fine art photograph of Art “Papa Funk” Neville that I captured in 2006 at Tipitina’s. Rock Paper Photo is the ultimate collection of limited edition, fine art, rock and roll photographs – hand signed by the photographer. For a limited time, get $100 off any piece in the collection. Use the code in the lower right of the bio. Happy Jazz Fest Ya’ll!
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 photographed by top New York Photographer Michael Jurick