Spirit World

The author of New Orleans Jazz Fest documents the thriving cultural richness of the Black Big Easy and captures the expressions of urban folk culture. Many Black neighborhoods in New Orleans are perceived by outsiders as being areas of decay. However, to photographer Michael P. Smith, in these neighborhoods remained the preserves of a rich cultural heritage. Smith, who photographed the subject for more than twenty years, saw the city’s African-American culture as “cultural wetlands” that engende