The Times-Picayune has an interview with Jimmy: "Changes in Attitude" – Despite some initial misgivings, Jimmy Buffett is glad he was one of the first to say he’d return for this year’s Jazzfest.
Jimmy Buffett:
I had decided to open with "City of New Orleans" because it was the song I closed with at Wrigley Field (on Sept. 5), when I was thinking about New Orleans but still having to do one of the biggest shows of my life (Buffett gave the first concert at the historic Chicago ballfield). I was going through a lot of emotions; I dedicated it to New Orleans.
Being a full-circle believer . . . I consulted with my daughter and we talked about the set list (for Jazzfest), and we went with "City of New Orleans." That song fit my sense of connection, and how do you musically get to people about something that devastating and still not preach to ’em? Some people choose to preach. I choose not to.
I got very emotional just starting the song. As a performer, if you’re worth your salt, that’s your job to somehow get through that stuff, and the emotional stuff comes later. But I got very choked up in that first verse, looking at that crowd. It’s a beat, then you go on. But I enjoyed it. I just let it happen for a minute.