MusicAlex RawlsMay 07, 2023jazz fest, new orleans, picks, highlights, Lulu and the broadsides, rainy eyes, deslondes, continental driftersComment

A Lot to Hear on the Last Day of Jazz Fest 2023

MusicAlex RawlsMay 07, 2023jazz fest, new orleans, picks, highlights, Lulu and the broadsides, rainy eyes, deslondes, continental driftersComment

Trombone Shorty, Tom Jones, Maze and Herbie Hancock are proven Jazz Fest crowd-pleasers. Who else should be on your short list?

The rain is over and, after today, so is Jazz Fest 2023. The headliners have looked a lot like headliners from years past—with some exceptions—but the rest of the day has been freshened up this year, which has usually been for the better. Healthy musical cultures and festivals regularly include new blood finding new approaches to old ideas.

Sunday has the toughest final tier of acts since the opening Friday, with Trombone Shorty, Tom Jones, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Herbie Hancock, Melissa Etheridge, Kermit Ruffins and The Flatlanders all offering quality shows and individual musical voices. You can’t pick one and go wrong.

We’ll focus on shows you might not know. Some we’ve written about:

Last year, R&B guitarist Ernie Vincent recorded a new album. He opens the Blues Tent at 11:15 a.m., and here’s our review of that album.
Last year, Lulu and the Broadsides released their debut album. They’ll play the Lagniappe Stage at 12:30 p.m. Here’s our review of the album from last year.
Rainy Eyes is making her Jazz Fest debut at 1:25 p.m. in the AARP Rhythmporium, and today she shared her “Milky Way” with us.
In 2015, we talked about the storied history of The Continental Drifters. Today they’ll play the Shell Gentilly Stage at 2:10 p.m.
In 2022, The Deslondes reunited to record a new album, and we talked to them about the whys and hows. Today they’ll play the Lagniappe Stage at 2:50 p.m.