{"id":2380801,"date":"2026-04-20T06:28:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T06:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2380801"},"modified":"2026-04-20T06:28:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T06:28:24","slug":"nola-jazz-fest-gambits-picks-for-music-to-see-april-23-jazz-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/nola-jazz-fest-gambits-picks-for-music-to-see-april-23-jazz-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"NOLA Jazz Fest: Gambit’s picks for music to see April 23 | Jazz Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"

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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 opening day at the fest.<\/p>\n

Sally Baby\u2019s Silver Dollars<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m., Gentilly Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

The soulful, woozy brass in singer Salvatore Geloso\u2019s voice is a taste of the New Orleans dive bars Sally Baby\u2019s Silver Dollars<\/a> regularly play. And surrounding Geloso is a group steeped<\/a> in rhythm and blues, jazz, funk and New Orleans style. The band released its debut project in 2025. Geloso will also be interviewed by Ben Sandmel at 3:45 p.m. Thursday on the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage. \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n

Rik Jam and The Island Federation<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m., Congo Square Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

2:20-3:20 p.m., Cultural Exchange Pavilion<\/em><\/p>\n

Ronaldo \u201cRik Jam\u201d Ricketts fronts this Kingston, Jamaica-based reggae band<\/a> that bridges the gap between roots tradition and modern dancehall. Ricketts developed his love of music by singing in his neighborhood\u2019s church and pursued music following his mother\u2019s passing. The band\u2019s live performances maintain a deep, hit-and-don\u2019t-quit bassline gravity and their music emphasizes a conscious lyricism \u2014 despite one of their most popular songs being called \u201cDon\u2019t Want Consciousness.\u201d \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n

Moyuba: A Tribute to the Spirit of Michael Skinkus<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:20 a.m.-12:05 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Jazz Fest, like many in recent memory, includes an early opening day set from energetic Afro-Latin jazz ensemble Moyuba. But this time, the local group will take the Jazz & Heritage Stage without bandleader and co-founder Michael Skinkus. The prominent New Orleans percussionist and educator passed away<\/a> earlier this year, and Moyuba will honor the life and spirit of their friend with a joyful noise and carry on his memory and rhythms. \u2014 BRAD RHINES<\/p>\n

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Vieux Farka Toure<\/p>\n

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\n Photo by Chris Granger \/ The Times-Picayune<\/span>
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Vieux Farka Toure<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:50-2 p.m., Blues Tent<\/em><\/p>\n

5-6 p.m., Cultural Exchange Pavilion<\/em><\/p>\n

Mali musician\u00a0Vieux Farka Toure\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0unique style of West African guitar dabbles in both the pentatonic and blues scales, a fusion that earned him the title \u201cHendrix of the Sahara.\u201d His music honors the legacy of his father, Ali Farka Toure, but his stage show pushes the boundaries of tradition, with rock influence, fret-obliterating solos and a hypnotic desert-blues groove. \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n

Nidia Gongora<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:55-1:55 p.m., Cultural Exchange Pavilion<\/em><\/p>\n

4:15-5:15 p.m., Jazz & Heritage Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

Nidia Gongora<\/a> writes and sings in the Colombian Pacific style known as cantora, and she sees her role as a cultural guardian, responsible for transmitting culture from ancestry to today. This results in a danceable sound made of a complex layering of vocals and Afro-Colombian percussion. She\u2019s Grammy nominated and quite adept at collaborating with artists from other modern genres, so expect a diverse range of sounds. \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n

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Maggie Koerner<\/p>\n

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\n Provided photo by Hunter Holder<\/span>
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Maggie Koerner<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:10-3:10 p.m., Gentilly Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

As Galactic\u2019s lead singer in 2013 and 2014, Maggie Koerner<\/a> funneled the power of her big, church-trained voice into soul-shattering rockers like \u201cGimme Shelter.\u201d These days, she wields her expressive strength a bit differently, reminding listeners there\u2019s also power in emotional vulnerability. Koerner\u2019s 2025 album \u201cUpstate\u201d<\/a> finds the singer-songwriter, a Shreveport native, revisiting stories and experiences from her past with more introspection than urgency. Think pretty, slow-building melodies, spare accompaniments and lilting heartbreakers. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n

Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. feat. Deezle and BlaqNmilD<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:10-3:10 p.m., Congo Square Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

NEA Jazz Master Donald Harrison Jr.<\/a> has devoted much of his career to connecting seemingly disparate music styles, genres, eras and artists in innovative ways, beginning with his pivotal 1997 album \u201cNouveau Swing.\u201d An alumnus of Art Blakey\u2019s Jazz Messengers, the fleet-fingered alto saxophonist continued on that path with 2024\u2019s \u201cThe Art of Passion.\u201d<\/a> Featuring producer and multi-instrumentalist Deezle, the three-track EP offers the titular song performed as a hard swing number as well as versions mixing in trap and hip-hop. At Jazz Fest, they\u2019re joined by producer BlaqNmilD for a set of New Orleans-rooted jazz and hip-hop. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n

Karma and the Killjoys<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:15-3:15 p.m., Lagniappe Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

Baton Rouge-based Karma and the Killjoys<\/a> made their festival debut last year, and the quartet return this weekend with a unique brand of theatrical, Goth-adjacent, self-proclaimed \u201cpiano rock.\u201d Fronted by a pair of bewitching vocalists, the band continues to grow a dedicated following thanks to moody, eclectic club gigs and inventive tunes like their latest single \u201cThis Song Was Stolen by Pirates,\u201d described by the band as a \u201can anti-AI sea shanty.\u201d \u2014\u202fBRAD RHINES<\/p>\n

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Blind Boys of Alabama<\/strong><\/p>\n

3:30-4:35 p.m., Gospel Tent<\/em><\/p>\n

With their stirring four-part vocal harmonies, stylistic flexibility and far-reaching repertoire, this historic gospel group<\/a> has become a defining feature of America\u2019s music landscape. The Blind Boys\u2019 membership has fluctuated since the 1940s, when the founding vocalists began performing professionally near the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind. Since then, the group has expanded their musical palette, delving into secular soul, R&B, jazz and rock as well as classic gospel and spiritual numbers. The group\u2019s 2023 album, \u201cEchoes of the South,\u201d earned them their sixth Grammy. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n

Cimafunk<\/strong><\/p>\n

3:40-4:55 p.m., Congo Square Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

With a stage presence that\u2019s like a Cuban James Brown, Afro-funk artist Cimafunk<\/a> and his band, La Tribu, have become a Jazz Fest must-see. The band is known to deliver a sweat-drenched dance party and a fluid mix of funk, hip-hop and traditional Cuban rhythms. Cimafunk recently released the new single, \u201cCocinarte,\u201d<\/a> and announced a new album coming May 22. \u2014 LIAM PIERCE<\/p>\n

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Kings of Leon<\/p>\n

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\n Photo by David Grunfeld \/ The Times-Picayune<\/span>
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Nicholas Payton feat. Butcher Brown<\/strong><\/p>\n

4:05-5:20 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent<\/em><\/p>\n

Trumpeter, keys player and composer Nicholas Payton<\/a> teams up with the collective Butcher Brown<\/a> for this special \u201cA Supreme Blue\u201d set honoring Miles Davis and John Coltrane\u2019s historic musical partnership. It comes amid a wave of Davis and \u2018Trane tributes timed to the late artists\u2019 shared centennial this year. Payton and Butcher Brown\u2019s homage is poised to include reworked takes on the masterpieces \u201cA Kind of Blue\u201d and \u201cA Love Supreme.\u201d Payton and Butcher Brown also will celebrate Davis and Coltrane on Friday, April 24, at the Jazz & Blues Market<\/a>. Karl Denson joins the show. \u2014 JENNIFER ODELL<\/p>\n

Kings of Leon<\/strong><\/p>\n

5-7 p.m., Festival Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe it\u2019s been more than 20 years since Kings of Leon<\/a> dropped the debut EP, \u201cHoly Roller Novocaine,\u201d a punchy dose of sleazy Southern rock that kickstarted serious buzz around the Tennessee band. Their latest release, \u201cEP #2,\u201d follows a run that includes major hits like \u201cSex on Fire\u201d and \u201cUse Somebody,\u201d nine full-length albums, countless live shows and the band evolving into a polished arena rock act. \u2014 BRAD RHINES<\/p>\n

Raye<\/strong><\/p>\n

5:20-7 p.m., Gentilly Stage<\/em><\/p>\n

British singer-songwriter Raye<\/a> had gotten an early career boost after signing with Polydor Records and co-writing songs for Beyonce, Charli XCX and John Legend. But the label wouldn\u2019t release her debut record. After Raye was finally able to leave Polydor, she released her album \u201cMy 21st Century Blues\u201d in 2023 to instant acclaim for her mix of pop, blues, jazz and dance music and a record-setting number of wins at that year\u2019s Brit Awards. Raye now comes to Jazz Fest with her recently released second full-length, \u201cThis Music May Contain Hope,\u201d which blends jazz, soul and big band music for an album about facing heartbreak and self-doubt. \u2014 JAKE CLAPP<\/p>\n\n

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Eight days of music, food and New Orleans culture.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div><\/div>\n