With hundreds of performances out at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival<\/a>, it’s hard to know where to start. So Gambit has some suggestion for bands and musicians to see on the festival’s first Sunday.<\/p>\n Nomfusi<\/strong><\/p>\n 12:45-1:45 p.m., Congo Square Stage<\/em><\/p>\n 5-6 p.m., Cultural Exchange Pavilion<\/em><\/p>\n South African Afro-soul vocalist Nomfusi<\/a> sings R&B anthems against poverty like 2009\u2019s \u201cNontsokolo\u201d but also has the pop appeal to lead vocals on the Calippo remix \u201cHeat (African Day),\u201d a deep house track. Her stage show includes ballads and rock jam-outs alike, her voice ranging from a coo to the clicks of her native Xhosa language to a powerful, trumpet-like blast \u2014 all coming together in a soulful, slow simmer. \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n Dr. Michael White\u2019s Original Liberty Jazz Band feat. Thais Clarke<\/strong><\/p>\n 1:40-2:40 p.m., Economy Hall Tent<\/em><\/p>\n Clarinetist, composer and historian Dr. Michael White is among the world\u2019s leading traditional New Orleans jazz experts. He\u2019s also an expressive and engaging musician whose tone, repertoire and style all reverberate with the history of the music he loves. A devotee of clarinetist George Lewis, White played with Ernest \u201cDoc\u201d Paulin and Danny Barker\u2019s legendary Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band before launching the Original Liberty Jazz Band in 1981. Their Fest sets with singer Thais Clarke often range from classics, like Lewis\u2019 \u201cBurgundy Street Blues,\u201d to bawdy early blues. It\u2019s a consistent festival highlight. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Michael White<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Boyfriend<\/strong><\/p>\n 2:10-3:10 p.m., Gentilly Stage<\/em><\/p>\n New Orleans-based vocalist and songwriter Suzannah Powell<\/a> recently announced she\u2019s retiring her stage persona Boyfriend later this year, telling fans her alter ego \u201chas said what she came here to say.\u201d For more than a decade, Boyfriend\u2019s prickly synth-pop bangers have tackled issues around identity, feminism and sexuality, while her cabaret-style performances, featuring flocks of backup dancers, inspired fans to arrive in costume as Boyfriend, among other weird moments of revelry. Get your rollers ready. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n Gitkin<\/strong><\/p>\n 2:25-3:10 p.m., Rhythmpourium<\/em><\/p>\n Led by New Orleans-based guitarist and Pimps of Joytime member Brian J. Gitkin<\/a>, the band Gitkin makes genre-defying music that\u2019s moody, atmospheric and mostly instrumental. The songs swirl with a whole host of influences ranging from surf rock, spaghetti western soundtracks, global jazz and psychedelic funk. The project\u2019s fifth full-length album, \u201cWhere the South Winds Wail,\u201d is due out next month. \u2014 BRAD RHINES<\/p>\n Irma Thomas<\/strong><\/p>\n 3:35-4:45 p.m., Festival Stage<\/em><\/p>\n Irma Thomas\u2019 formidable career took off in the 1960s when she scored hits with \u201cIt\u2019s Raining\u201d and \u201cBreak-A-Way\u201d and began working with Allen Toussaint, who would come to see her as a muse. The Grammy winner\u2019s rich voice has since become synonymous with New Orleans\u2019 golden age of R&B. In 2025, the Soul Queen of New Orleans joined forces with Galactic to release the remarkable \u201cAudience With the Queen.\u201d Thomas also performs a gospel set on the festival\u2019s second Sunday. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n <\/p>\n St. Vincent<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n St. Vincent<\/strong><\/p>\n 3:40-4:55 p.m., Gentilly Stage<\/em><\/p>\n Art rock musician and guitar wizard St. Vincent<\/a> has had a celebrated career across her seven studio albums and a collaboration with David Byrne. And it\u2019s easy to see why: She tackles each new project with a fresh perspective and style, from the baroque pop of the album \u201cStrange Mercy\u201d to the more cinematic and industrial influences on 2024\u2019s \u201cAll Born Screaming.\u201d St. Vincent took home three Grammy Awards for \u201cAll Born Screaming,\u201d including best Alternative Music Album.\u201d Her most recent release is \u201cLive in London,\u201d recorded with the 60-piece Jules Buckley Orchestra. \u2014 JAKE CLAPP<\/p>\n The Music of Marcia Ball<\/strong><\/p>\n 3:40-4:50 p.m., Blues Tent<\/em><\/p>\n Late last year, friends and fans of Marcia Ball<\/a> were caught by surprise when the renowned blues singer and pianist shared her recent ALS diagnosis and announced her retirement from performing. A longtime resident of Austin, Texas, Ball has been a fan favorite in New Orleans since the 1970s. Her rollicking piano licks and soulful singing voice anchored a musical style that straddled Texas and Louisiana-style blues, R&B, country and soul. At Jazz Fest, the Marcia Ball Band with guest friends like Jon Cleary, Sue Foley, Terrance Simien and more will pay tribute to Ball\u2019s career. \u2014 BRAD RHINES<\/p>\n Shirley Caesar and The Caesar Singers<\/strong><\/p>\n 3:55-4:55 p.m., Gospel Tent<\/em><\/p>\n Pastor Shirley Caesar\u2019s<\/a> long and prolific gospel career has earned her the moniker \u201cFirst Lady of Gospel\u201d and 12 Grammy Awards. Caesar cut her first record in 1951 and worked briefly with the popular incubator-act the Caravans before launching the solo career that\u2019s made her an icon. Caesar\u2019s known for near-ecstatic performances that combine music and mid-song preaching breaks. Her most recent Grammy came courtesy of \u201cCome Jesus Come,\u201d a duet with Cece Winans. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rod Stewart<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Rod Stewart<\/strong><\/p>\n 5:25-7 p.m., Festival Stage<\/em><\/p>\n Sir Roderick David Stewart has compiled so many hit songs<\/a> that even the most casual fan can start reeling them off: \u201cMaggie May,\u201d \u201cHot Legs,\u201d \u201cYoung Turks, \u201cDowntown Train\u201d and on and on. Still rocking the bleached-blond rooster cut and leopard-print stage clothes at 81 years old, it\u2019s easy to make a \u201cDo You Think I\u2019m Sexy\u201d crack, but Stewart continues to wear it well and shows no signs of slowing down. \u2014 BRAD RHINES<\/p>\n David Byrne<\/strong><\/p>\n 5:30-7 p.m., Gentilly Stage<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne<\/a> prioritized his own artistic vision above the group\u2019s as their frontman. But his recent solo projects seem grounded in more symbiotic artistic exchanges, from his collaborations with St. Vincent to the ensemble cast feel of musical theater piece \u201cAmerican Utopia.\u201d His new album, \u201cWho Is the Sky?,\u201d is similarly group-oriented: Ghost Train Orchestra arranged and performs on every track. On his current tour, Byrne shares music and movement duties with his musicians and dancers while rocking through a mix of new material and Talking Heads classics. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The Isley Brothers<\/strong><\/p>\n 5:40-6:55 p.m., Congo Square Stage<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to believe the same band was behind 1959\u2019s gospel-fueled doowop hit \u201cShout,\u201d the smooth 1973 chart-topper \u201cThat Lady\u201d and 1975\u2019s gritty, politically charged funk-rock anthem \u201cFight the Power.\u201d But then, The Isley Brothers<\/a> have covered a lot of ground in the past 70 years, including a stint with Jim Hendrix as their guitarist and a recent Beyonce collaboration. Their current touring incarnation features founding vocalist Ronald Isley, longtime guitarist Ernie Isley and plenty of sultry, funk-infused soul jams from their \u201970s and \u201980s-era catalog. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n The Ron Carter Foursight Quartet<\/strong><\/p>\n 5:45-7 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent<\/em><\/p>\n You\u2019d be hard pressed to find a better musician to close out the first weekend in the WWOZ Jazz Tent than Ron Carter<\/a>. The 88-year-old bassist is widely considered the most recorded jazz bassist in history; name a jazz giant \u2014 Thelonious Monk, Cannonball Adderley \u2014 and he\u2019s probably backed them at some point. With his quartet, Carter favors a restrained, conversational swing, where the bass doesn\u2019t just keep time but quietly steers the show. \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n Eight days of music, food and New Orleans culture.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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