My Spilt Milk at Jazz Fest 2025
Haim headline Jazz Fest on Sunday, April 27.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell starts on Thursday, April 24, and My Spilt Milk wants to help you get as much out of this year’s festival as possible. I’ll be sharing moments from the Fair Grounds on Instagram, Blue Sky, and Facebook.
This is the landing page for all of My Spilt Milk’s Jazz Fest coverage. This year, I have organized it by day and in chronological order with links to new stories and features, and older pieces that still seem relevant. If the piece isn’t new, I have identified the year it was published.
One thing you’ll see if you spend any time here or at My Spilt Milk is that my emphasis is on discovery. You don’t need anyone to tell you about legends like John Fogerty or Santana, and I don’t have much if anything to add to the conversation around them in 2025.
I attend Jazz Fest that way too, spending a lot of time on artists that are new or newer to Jazz Fest and acts I might not get a chance to see again. For that reason, I pay a lot of attention to the artists that are a part of the Mexico Showcase this year. I’ll certainly see personal favorites and check in on Louisiana acts with substantial careers to see what’s new, but my writing and picks are guided by the desire to help people find artists they might otherwise overlook.
It will be updated with new, active links as additional stories, features, and reviews are published.
Some of the explanations are self-explanatory, but some might not be. I have linked to some reviews, but they were part of a wrap-up of the day at Jazz Fest. That means the artist might not be in the lead paragraph.
In some cases, you’ll see “Milky Way” next to an artist’s name. “Milky Way” features artists revealing the songs that map the expanse of their musical universes with explanations of the choices they’ve made. They have to limit it to eight songs since we only have eight planets in ours.
I have also linked to episodes of My Spilt Milk’s “Twelve Songs of Christmas” podcast. It runs weekly from Christmas in July to Christmas, and it features musicians talking about the Christmas music they have made and how it fits into their musical lives all year. I’ve linked to episodes that help listeners better understand artists playing Jazz Fest.
This year, we also have three features to get readers ready for Jazz Fest. Some of the most vital music at Jazz Fest comes from the international showcase, but since few of the Mexican artists performing this year are well-known in the States, I’ll post my picks for the first weekend before Jazz Fest starts, and the the artists I’m looking forward to in second weekend as the second weekend approaches..
Last fall, writer Alison Fensterstock edited How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music. The book continues the “Turning the Tables” project NPR Music started in 2017 when it released, “The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women” as writers explore the art and careers of women musicians. A number of artists featured in the book will play Jazz Fest this year, so I wanted to see what those sections and the book can tell us about the festival.
Finally, I’m linking to an interview from 2024 with filmmakers Jeremy Lavoi and Abby Berendt Lavoi about their documentary, Roots of Fire. It looks at the community of Cajun musicians who have become an important part of the Lafayette music community and Jazz Fest, so it helps open up much of what takes place on the Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage.
This year, we have already posted a series of previews:
Thursday, April 24
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day
Flow Tribe on “Twelve Songs of Christmas” podcast - 11:20 a.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
LeTrainiump “Milky Way” - 12:20 p.m., Congo Square Stage
Charlie Halloran on “Twelve Songs of Christmas” podcast - 12:30 p.m., Economy Hall Tent
Los Tremolo Kings feat. Margie Perez “Milky Way” - 12:35 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
El Dusty & the Homies interview - 2:10 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage; 4:55 p.m., Rhythmporium Stage
The Iceman Special “Milky Way” from 2024 - 2:10 p.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
Grupo Fantasma interview - 2:40 p.m., Congo Square Stage; 4:55 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage
Friday, April 25
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day and Thursday’s review
Ronnie Lamarque review from 2024 - 11:15 a.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
El Dusty & the Homies interview - 2:25 p.m., Rhythmporium Stage; 5:15 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage
Seratones interview from 2022 - 2:40 p.m., Festival Stage
Shannon McNally interview from 2013 - 4:15 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Kacey Musgraves review from her Jazz Fest debut in 2015 - 5:30 p.m., Festival Stage
Saturday, April 26
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day and Friday’s review
Los Güiros “Milky Way” from 2023 - 12:25 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage
Big Freedia on “The Twelve Songs of Christmas” podcast - 1:55 p.m., Festival Stage
Silver Synthetic interview - 4:20 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Lil Wayne and The Roots preview - 5:30 p.m., Festival Stage
Sunday, April 27
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day and Saturday’s review
The Soul Rebels interview on hip-hop’s influence from 2013 - 12 p.m., Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage (interview); 3:25 p.m., Congo Square Stage
People Museum “Milky Way” from 2023 - 12:20 p.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
Sarah Quintana interview - 12:40 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Judith Owen interview from 2017 - 1:30 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys on “The Twelve Songs of Christmas” podcast - 1:40 p.m., Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage
Charlie and the Tropicales “Milky Way” - 1:50 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Boyfriend interview - 2:40 p.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
Thursday, May 1
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day
Helen Gillet interview from 2018 - 12:40 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Alejandro Escovedo interview from 2014 - 1:15 p.m., Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage (interview); 4:30 p.m., Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage
Loose Cattle interview - 1:40 p.m., Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage
Sierra Green & the Giants “Milky Way” from 2024 - 3 p.m., Blues Tent
Chris Stafford appreciation from 2024 - 4:15 p.m., Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage (“The Life and Legacy of Chris Stafford” interview)
Big Chief Brian & the Nouveau Bounce “Milky Way”- 4:20 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage
Lost Bayou Ramblers documentary essay from 2020 - 6 p.m., Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage
Friday, May 2
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day and Thursday’s review
The Deslondes interview from 2022 - 11:15 a.m., Festival Stage
Sweet Crude interview from 2013 - 2:15 p.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
Trumpet Mafia review from 2023 - 2:50 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent
Hurray for the Riff Raff review from 2023 - 3:55 p.m., Shell Gentilly Stage
Alexis & the Sanity interview - 4:45 p.m., Rhythmporium Tent
Saturday, May 3
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day and Friday’s review
Son Rompe Pera interview - 11:20 p.m., Festival Stage; 2:40 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage
HaSizzle “The King of Bounce” on “The Twelve Songs of Christmas” podcast - 4:20 p.m., Congo Square Stage
Nicholas Payton interview from 2017 - 4:20 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent
Sunday, May 4
My Spilt Milk’s picks for the day
79rs Gang interview from 2020 - 12:25 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage
Zachary Richard interview from 2016 - 12:30 p.m., Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage
Lilli Lewis Project “Milky Way” from 2024 - 1:50 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Lulu and the Broadsides “Milky Way” from 2024 - 4:20 p.m., Lagniappe Stage
Lisbon Girls “Milky Way” - 4:45 p.m., Rhythmporium Stage
Creator of My Spilt Milk and its spin-off Christmas music website and podcast, TwelveSongsOfChristmas.com.
