Here are my picks for the remaining three days of the French Quarter Festival. Click the days for the full schedule.
Start your day Friday with the eclectic guitarist Marc Stone. He always surrounds himself with first-class talent and is comfortable wailing the blues or delving into the deep waters of R&B.
At 12:15, another guitarist steeped in the blues plays on the Abita Beer Stage. Christian Duqué leads the Soul Project and like the band’s name implies they play high-energy soul music.
Speaking of soulful guitarists, Tommy Malone led the subdudes for two decades. Now he’s got his own band, the Mystic Drone. I saw their debut performance and the group is hot.
End your day on Friday at the intimate brass band stage. The Stooges have been tearing it up lately and their stage show is one of the best in town.
Saturday tends to be the most crowded day at the French Quarter Festival so my recommendations are mostly at the smaller stages.
For a chance to hear how traditional marching bands sounded a century ago, head back to the brass band stage for the Onward Brass Band. They will amaze you as they collectively improvise on the ancient songs.
For a whole different take on brass instruments, there are two incredible bands playing. Rick Trolsen, an adventurous trombonist leads Neslort (pictured). It’s his last name spelled backwards! They play original music that’s not for the faint of heart.
Another bold band with lots of brass is Magnetic Ear. Martin Krusche, an exceptional alien (he’s from Germany and the name of their most recent album is Aliens of Extraordinary Ablity) leads this group that also plays all original music with a flair for the dramatic.
The last band to perform at the Latin/World music stage is one of my personal favorites. The bassist Sam Price, who also plays in the Honey Island Swamp Band, leads Otra. They have a front line of horns and back line of awesome percussionists and play Cuban music with a New Orleans flavor. The Honey Island Swamp Band is also playing on Saturday.
Start your day on Sunday before the crowds come out with the Panorama Jazz Band on the main stage in Jackson Square. They will get you up and dancing with a mixture of New Orleans, Caribbean and even Balkan sounds.
One of the brightest lights on the scene today is the saxophonist Aurora Nealand. She has been known to venture into edgy jazz territory, but Sunday she plays with her new traditional band, the Royal Roses. They take their musical cues from the legendary jazzman, Sidney Bechet.
It’s not a festival without the sounds of the Mardi Gras Indians. The 101 Runners just garnered a nomination for Best Emerging Band and they deserve it. Juan Pardo, an energetic vocalist and dancer fronts the band. They mine the traditional rhythms with a funk beat.
To hear where some of the rhythms of New Orleans originated, check out Ensemble Fatien. A percussionist and dancer from Ivory Coast, Seguenon Kone (pictured), leads the band, which features some of the best local players. They effortlessly combine New Orleans and Africa into a compelling stew.
You could end your day at one of the main stages, but I recommend hanging at the brass band stage and grooving to Kirk Joseph’s 504 Brass Band. He is a legend around the world for his innovations on the sousaphone. He also surrounds himself with first class talent.
