It's challenging to listen to jazz. It is almost the thinking person's music. And it's not everyone's cup of tea. Which is why I commend the Jazz Fest for bringing in a smattering of musical acts that appeal to a broader audience. And how it makes every night of the fest feel like Friday Night Happy Hour gone long and late.

Perhaps it was the forecast of impending rain for the rest of week that packed Jazz Street the most I've seen it this year. Or maybe it was the sounds of Soul Stew, another easy-access band, only way smooth and suave. They followed Marvin Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me" with a trilogy of disco tunes and the audience was getting down on it. It was their thing and they were doing what they wanted to do. To me it was almost sacrilegious. So I headed over to hear Jake and Carolyn Wonderland. For more on that show, check out Frank's blog.