As Johnny Vidacovich stood on-stage talking to the crowd gathered to hear hometown favorite Astral Project at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the group’s drummer epitomized the New Orleans musician’s sensibility: relaxed, unpretentious, and great. And when he sang about the passing of the old ways in “Old Folks,” you could tell he meant it. Drawing on the musical heritage of New Orleans, Johnny Vidacovich has become one of the best drummers in a city known for its drummers. Born and bred in New Orleans, Vidacovich has the city’s unique, syncopated backbeat running in his veins. Many outsiders have sought to imitate that sound which comes so naturally to those who grew up exposed to the Big Easy’s street music traditions. One can hear the beat of the street in multifarious places, from the music of the Mardi Gras Indians to the Neville Brothers to Vidacovich himself.