NOLA Jazz Fest: Gambit’s picks for music to see May 1 | Jazz Fest

With hundreds of performances out at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, it’s hard to know where to start. So Gambit has some suggestion for bands and musicians to see on the festival’s second Friday.

Rickie Lee Jones

12:45-1:40 p.m., Festival Stage

Rickie Lee Jones first popped off in 1979 with the single “Chuck E.’s in Love,” a jazzy bit of folk-pop that eschewed the breezy sounds of Laurel Canyon in favor of the more eclectic downtown L.A. scene. Following her own muse, she gained a fair share of success and recognition along the way, including a 1990 Grammy for her duet with Dr. John, “Makin’ Whoopee.” At 71, Jones, ever the troubadour, is still delighting audiences with unmistakable originals and reinterpreted songbook standards. — BRAD RHINES

Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns

12:45-1:50 p.m., Blues Tent

Meschiya Lake’s toe-tapping take on vintage jazz, blues and swing music has made her an in-demand performer, from busking on Royal Street to appearances across the international jazz festival circuit. The throwback crooner can cover a range of styles, but she’s probably best known for her work with trad jazz ensemble the Little Big Horns. Together they’ve recorded three full-length albums of originals and classics that bridge the gap from the roaring ’20s to the 2020s. — BRAD RHINES

The Skatalites

2-3:10 p.m., Gentilly Stage

5-6 p.m., Cultural Exchange Pavilion

This legendary ensemble initially began in 1964 when a group of Kingston, Jamaica, studio musicians — many of them pioneers of what would become known as ska — came together to form their own band and had a brief but highly influential year-long run before disbanding. A couple of reunions occurred in the ’70s, and The Skatalites reformed in 1983 to reintroduce the ska pioneers into the cresting 2Tone wave. Most of the original lineup has since passed, but The Skatalites is still led by vocalist and founding member Doreen Shaffer, and the band carries on its originators’ legacy. The Skatalites also perform Saturday at 2:05 p.m. in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion, and members will be interviewed by music journalist Alex Rawls at 4:30 p.m. on the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage. — LIAM PIERCE

Runkus & Royal Blu with Dub Squad

2:10-3:10 p.m., Cultural Exchange Pavilion

4:25-5:25 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage

Kingston rapper Runkus and singer-songwriter Royal Blu bring a sharp, lyrical edge to Jazz Fest — backed by the heavyweight riddims of the Dub Squad. Runkus, the son of reggae veteran Determine, is known for a high-speed, technical flow. Add in Royal Blu’s melodic precision, and the set promises a raw, bass-heavy modern Jamaican sound that brings live instrumentation and rapid-fire wordplay to the fore. The group also performs Saturday at 12:50 p.m. on the Congo Square Stage and at 3:35 p.m. in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion. — LIAM PIERCE

Lawrence Sieberth presents Da Groove

3:40-4:55 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent

New Orleans-based pianist and composer Lawrence Sieberth plays jazz the way it’s meant to be played: improvisationally and experimentally. His projects over the years have dabbled in a range of styles. He’s experimented with electronics and written pieces for orchestra. Now, Sieberth collaborates with fretless guitar trailblazer David Fiuczynski and master percussionist Danny Sadownick for a project called Da Groove. — LIAM PIERCE

Sue Foley

3:50-5:05 p.m., Blues Tent

Sue Foley may hail from Canada, but she can swing in Texas style, moan the Delta blues and pick flamenco with equal swagger. The veteran guitarist, who has appeared with B.B. King and Buddy Guy, typically favors either her pink Fender or a handmade Mexican Salvador Castillo. Foley also has a Ph.D. in musicology and has an upcoming book, “Guitar Women: Conversations with the Heroines of Guitar,” set to release in June. — LIAM PIERCE

Lainey Wilson

5:20-7 p.m., Festival Stage

Now a Grammy-winning country star and “Yellowstone” actress, Louisiana-born Lainey Wilson got her start impersonating Hannah Montana as a teen. In April, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter announced a “full-circle moment” on Instagram: She’d recently recorded “Younger You,” a duet with “Hannah Montana” star Miley Cyrus. Wilson also has a string of hits under her belt, including “Somewhere Over Laredo,” “Heart Like a Truck” and “Things a Man Oughtta Know.” A new documentary about her life, “Keepin’ Country Cool,” debuted at SXSW in March. — JENNIFER ODELL

Ziggy Marley

5:30-7 p.m., Congo Square Stage

The eldest son of Bob Marley already has nine Grammy Awards under his belt and has been a busy activist for decades. Ziggy Marley is now fresh off the April 18 vinyl record release of “Brightside,” his first new studio album in eight years. For the introspective album, Marley recorded at a meditative 432 hertz, a frequency shift that only deepens the reggae groove. Expect a set that balances these new textures with his bigger songs and his father’s timeless classics. Marley also will sit for an interview with Jonathan McHugh at 2:15 p.m. Friday on the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage. — LIAM PIERCE

Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane

5:30-7 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent

Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard rose from the “young lions” ranks in the 1980s to become one of jazz’s premier players. Acclaimed for his expansive compositions, provocative operas, Oscar-nominated film scores and haunting tone, the seven-time Grammy winner is touring with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, whose father, John Coltrane, along with Miles Davis, would have turned 100 this year. At recent performances, Blanchard and Coltrane have been celebrating that shared centennial with new arrangements of the late musicians’ legendary works. Blanchard and Coltrane also will be interviewed by Ashley Kahn at 3:15 p.m. Friday on the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage. — JENNIFER ODELL

Big Chief Juan & Jockimo’s Groove

5:50-6:40 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage

On Friday, Big Chief Juan Pardo of the Golden Comanches, backed by the rhythmic funk of Jockimo’s Groove, offers a glimpse into the Black Masking Indian ritual and the excitement of taking to the streets on Mardi Gras morning. The multigenerational tribe’s vibrant handcrafted suits will be on full display, showing off immaculate beadwork and feathered plumage, led by Pardo with his signature braids and powerful vocals. — BRAD RHINES