New Orleans' own PJ Morton returns home to Jazz Fest with new music

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer PJ Morton comes home with a new album and memoir dropping soon amid a Saturday afternoon performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which nears the end of an eight-day run.

Morton, a preacher’s kid whose parents — the Revs. Paul and Debra Morton — are well-known in the city, said he looks forward every year to taking the stage at the Fair Grounds.

“Jazz Fest always feels like home,” Morton said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It feels like a family reunion. We want the food, just like everyone else does. You get to see all your friends, see everybody. There’s nothing better than that.”

Morton said he does not take for granted the love he feels in his hometown or in performances done around the world.

“I’m amazed at the crowds and the rooms we get to play,” he said. “The joy started in small clubs where we were playing to 20 to 50 people. Now it’s thousands. I love to see the growth. It’s just special at every single level for me.