Ernesto tried to blow out the Rhythm and Roots sizzling spirit but it didn't dampen the mood of the die hard patrons. It merely put more wind in our sails. Campers simply battened down the hatches, put on the rain gear and headed for the stages where the performers gave an incredible show throughout the weekend.

Day tripper attendance was down because of the weather but the hardy campers and the dancers hung in there. Most managed to keep their tents staked down and if not totally dry, at least nobody floated away. Mary Daub, R&R's promoter, closed the festival on Sunday night with a thank you to the "die hards" for their endurance despite the weather.

Throughout the weekend, the dance tent was cranking with the sounds of Cajun and Zydeco music. The Savoy Family Cajun Band, the festival host this year, kicked it off on Friday with a progressive Cajun flair. The fresh breath of youth from the Savoy boys is clearly influencing Cajun traditions in new directions. Wilson's over-the-top honky-tonk piano and the traditional duel fiddle tunes simply excited the dancers with raw energy. Continuous dance music was offered by Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, Nathan and the Zydeco ChaChas, Lil' Anne, Magnolia with Ed Poullard, Rosey Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys and Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Magnolia with Ed Poullard took the early sets starting off with Cajun dance lessons. As always, this band delivered wonderful traditional Cajun music. Curley offered his brand of soulful Zydeco, while Lil' Anne served up straight ahead traditional Zydeco sounds. Nathan was criticized for playing too fast on Friday nite but he toned it down considerably on Saturday for a great closing set. On Sunday, Rosie showed us why she's considered the darling of Zydeco while Steve Riley closed out the weekend show with a crowded dance floor until shortly after midnight Monday morning. It doesn't get any better than that!

The main stage was host to a wide range of musical styles. The traditions of New Orleans were well represented with a mix of Delta Blues, honky-tonk and jazz , delivered by the likes of Dr. John, Girl Howdy, John Jorgenson Quintet, James Hand and Jeremy Lyons & the Deltabilly Boys. Of course, Marcia Ball, a perennial favorite on the R&R stage, reminded listeners of the devastation left in Katrina's wake a year ago with her moving rendition of Louisiana 1927 and a new song describing the emotional aftermath of Katrina. Fund raising continued this year with proceeds specifically aimed at the NOLA Musicians Fund.

Bromberg with his Angel Band gave a top-shelf performance with his humorous lyrical flair. The Horseflies with their unique tribal based fiddle sound was thoroughly enjoyable and well received by patrons. Los Lobos, new to the R&R stage, pleased the crowd with their mix of Latino beats and hard driving rock. The set's mood changed with Marcia Ball and Steve Riley joining the group on stage. Many have remarked about Marcia Ball's new guitarist Mike Keller who brought the whole set up another notch. These are the moments in time that stay in the hearts of festival patrons for a life time. The Spanish Harlem Orchestra presented their progressive Latin style offering an opportunity for those who love the sensuality of the Salsa dance. Grammy award winner and prolific song writer, Tim O'Brien and his award winning Cornbread Nation Band played a mix of traditional folk tunes from his Fiddler's Green and Cornbread Nation projects. Tim's band is comprised of John Doyle on guitar, Dirk Powell – bass and banjo and Casey Driessen on fiddle; certainly, a winning combination of accomplished musicians.

Camping at R&R, while limited to 1200 campers, had some wonderful night time picking. The camping "dance tent", as always, was cranking with Zydeco each night. Another group that had gathered each night had some very accomplished musicians. You could hear the wonderful soulful voice of a woman float by in the night. The banjo player in this group cranked out some amazing rifts. As a whole, the group played a wide range of musical styles including a mix of traditional folk and classic 60s rock tunes. It was believed that some of the players gathered there were from Girl Howdy. Someone remarked that the late night campground music rivaled some of the stage acts.

Sunday evening was beautiful under clear skies and late summer coolness perfect for dancing. The dance floor was crowded for the closing set with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. What a finale in a festival steeped in Cajun and Zydeco traditions! At about 11:20 Sunday evening Tim O'Brien on Mandolin, Casey Driessen on fiddle, Joel Savoy on fiddle and Wilson Savoy on keyboard took the stage with Steve Reilly and his band and completely brought the house down! On several of the pieces, David Greeley played out the traditional Cajun refrain on fiddle, then Joel took it through with his Cajun flair, and then Casey, in his inimitable style, took it to a whole different platform ... chilling performances! Wilson Savoy with his amazing honky-tonk style keyboard blended in a whole different sound to Riley's music. Interesting also to hear Tim O'Brien on Mandolin with those Cajun tunes ... very fun! AND the promoters let the set go over the strict midnight curfew by 10 minutes! The crowd demanded more but Chuck Wentworth apologized that they simply could not continue on because "we want to come back next year!" These are the amazing festival moments to remember.

For many the weather was a non-event, life was made good by the incredible talents who made R&R 2006 a party to remember. Next year, R&R celebrates its 10 anniversary at Ninegret Park. I am sure the winning team of Chuck Wentworth and Mary Daub will conjure up a celebration to delight us all. See you next year!