Some JazzFest recommendations for Day 2 Saturday April 30

Shannon McNally

For Day 2 of the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival I have a selected several acts that may be lesser known but should be of interest. 

Charlei Gabriel

11:15 AM on the Gentilly Stage. Shannon McNally & Hot Sauce. I saw Shannon as one of the guests with Lil Band of Gold at their trubute to Bobby Charles held at the House of Blues between the two weekends of the 2010 JazzFest. A fine roots. She may be one of the guests at this year’s Bobby Charles tribute on April 29 and hosts her own Charles tribute with guests including C.C. Adcock and David Egan at Chickee Wah Wah, Saturday April 30. She has recorded a Bobby Charles Tribute album Small Town Talk but I am not sure if it has been issued. Jon Pareles of the NY Times has written: “She has the voice: bruised, smoky and ornery, right at home where country and soul meet… She has the melodies and the timing… she’s irresistible.” 

Alvin Youngblood Hart

12:25 in the WWOZ Jazz Tent - Kidd Jordan & the Imporvisational Jazz Ensemble. There is little free or avant garde jazz at JazzFest. Kidd Jordan is the exception and the JazzFest website states “His deep roots in all music makes his sound accessible to open-eared, novices of free jazz.”


1:40PM at the WWOZ Jazz Tent -The Tenor Sax Woodshed feat. Christian Winther and Charlie Gabriel. I saw tenor saxophonist Charlie Gabriel last year as part of an organ combo and was impressed. I later told that for years he torued with the likes of Aretha and was currently part of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band touring ensemble. Whatever, his playing really impressed me and I assume Mr. Winther brings a similar robust tenor style.


2:30PM in the Blues Tent - Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory. One of the young blood acoustic blues guitarists that included Corey harris that showed an affinity for performing classic country blues. He is more of a modern day songster these days and I have seen him do rock and roll and rockabilly with equal authority.

Pine Leaf Boys

3:00PM on the Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage - Pine Leaf Boys. This is a terrific, traditionally oriented cajun band with respect towards tradition, and with considerable exuberance.

John Boutté

4:05PM in the WWOZ Jazz Tent - John Boutté. Given the boost from his association with the Tréme HBO show, John Boutté’s profile has risen. A terrific vocalist who transcends jazz and can deliver a classic New Orleans R&B Chuck Carbo classic as strongly as San Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, or his own loving tribute to his sisters, Sisters.