Brett Milano and Michael Allen Zell reviews from Jazz Fest Day 3, Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Unless they’re your all-time favorite, the big-name acts always pose a dilemma: Do you see them and probably miss something more left-field and interesting, or do you skip them and miss an act that’s less affordable elsewhere?

I try to keep an unspoken agreement with the BNA’s: Hook me with the first three songs or I move on. Stevie Nicks was up to the task; her opening trio was a spirited version of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”; the solo hit “If Anybody Falls” and a medley of two rain songs, the deep cut “Outside the Rain” and the day’s first Fleetwood Mac hit, “Dreams.” From there the set was familiar in a good way—she was right into her witchy character, leaving the stage twice to change shawls. Her voice was in good shape, nodding to age with only a couple of lowered keys. She told a few old-days stories, including an affectionate one about meeting Tom Petty (his part on “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” was taken by Waddy Wachtel, her guitar partner since the ’70s). And Jazz Fest got a special encore, including “New Orleans”—a Katrina-themed song that she recorded in 2010; and the thematically appropriate surprise “Don’t Stop,” the first time she’s ever sung a Fleetwood Mac song that wasn’t one of her own.

There was heavy competition today, but unless something great happens tomorrow, Jason Isbell’s set may be my favorite of the weekend. He’s been on an interesting trajectory since splitting the Drive-By Truckers in 2007, going through some well-documented personal changes (sobriety, marriage, divorce) and some musical ones as well—he’s mastered the conventions of Nashville-styled songwriting while keeping his tendency to touch raw nerves in his lyrics, seldom letting anyone, including himself off the hook. The current edition of the 400 Unit can cover both bases, doing justice to the straight-ahead country numbers and rocking as furiously as the Truckers did in his tenure. The Jazz Fest set had two Truckers songs (title track and “Outfit”) from the just-reissued “Decoration Day,” plus a searing version of a sour relationship song, “This Ain’t It.” One of the emotional peaks was “Dress Blues,” written in 2007 about a friend who joined the Marines and died in Iraq. The song honors his friend’s service while lamenting that he was “shipped away to fight someone’s Hollywood war.” All Isbell said by way of introduction—and all he needed to say—was “It seemed the right time to start playing this one again.”

Blues-rocker Samantha Fish is still very much in a rock ’n’ roll phase: She took the stage to a recording of the Cramps’ punkabilly classic “New Kind of Kick,” probably the first time it’s ever been heard at Jazz Fest. She proceeded to offer a more timeless kind of kick: punchy songs, impassioned vocals, tear-it-up guitar solos (plus one of the weekend’s niftier covers, Barbara Lewis’ soul nugget “Hello Stranger,” best known by its chorus of “It seems like a mighty long time.”). Just as I was focusing on her guitar playing, I heard someone near me call her “the modern-day version of that gal from the Pretenders”, which makes a good point—she could probably get by on her voice and songwriting alone. Her guitar playing is something special though, and she’s no shredder. Her solos are first about feeling, second about sonic thrills, and playing lots of notes comes in a distant third.

Alex McMurray of the Tin Men opened Saturday with some words to live by: “People can’t decide whether to do their best, or to have a good time. So, we’re going to do our best by having a good time.” That about sums up this trio, which now has two decades under its belt: They’re musicologists, but fun musicologists. Since they were playing the Blues Tent they went deep into blues history, covering Jelly Roll Morton’s “I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say” because it’s an essential piece of New Orleans—but also because it’s scatological and hilarious. The crowd pleaser in their set was a Dirty Dozen tune, “Blackbird Special”—a tough one to cover when your lineup is guitar, sousaphone and washboard. They not only got it right but made it swing.

In a nice bit of synchrony, the Tin Men closed their set with the Allen Toussaint/James Andrews nugget “Got Me a New Love Thing,” and the RiverBenders opened the next set I saw with Oliver Morgan’s ’60s hit “Who Shot the La La”—which pointed out that lyrics aside, they’re basically the same song. Originally a pandemic-era side project for the New Orleans Suspects and the Honey Island Swamp Band’s respective frontmen Jake Eckert and Aaron Wilkinson, they became a full-time band with the addition of drummer Russ Broussard and bassist Myles Weeks. And this weekend they were a full-blown supergroup with the addition of two family members, River Eckert (son of Jake) on keys and Susan Cowsill (wife of Broussard) on backing vocals and tambourine. Mixing some well-chosen covers with originals from a just-released album, the RiverBenders presented a rocking regional vibe that doesn’t sound quite like any of their regular bands but has something to offer for any of their fans. For one thing, the two founders prove to be natural harmony singers, and the rhythm section gives a swift kick to even the rootsiest numbers. Their version of the gospel standard “Jesus on the Mainline” was pure jubilation.

Making all these sets invariably means you miss someone you like, and Kermit Ruffins fell into that category for me this year. But I had a stroke of luck and happened to walk by Congo Square just as he was telling the one joke I always wait for: “My wife ran off with the reefer man—and I sure miss him.” Wouldn’t be Jazz Fest without it.
—Brett Milano

 

One of Nas’ famous lyrics is, “I never sleep, ’cause sleep is the cousin of death.” After booming thunder and lightning brought in heavy thunderstorms in the early overnight hours, sleep was impossible. Fortified though with a great Jazz Fest lineup and mindful of mortality with the capture of a potential festival terrorist, Saturday began.

I began the day with the Crazy Clesi. Joy in a bowl. Crawfish rice topped with etouffee and fried alligator. Off to the Jazz & Heritage Stage while sipping a Mocktail Mule from Tap NOLA.

The La Tran-K Band is a New Orleans pleasure. Also, a great kickoff to the day. Who doesn’t want morning merengues and sunny salsa to set the tone for the soul? The 15-member group was nimble, locked-in, and had a great spirit. Here’s to more La Tran-K in 2026!

Though she’s sang with everyone from Tank and the Bangas to Galactic (playing next week), this was Jelly Joseph’s first headlining performance. She brought the Festival Stage to life with fire music and well-suited red and black visuals. The crowd, already settling in for headliner Stevie Nicks, responded well, especially to originals like “Set Me Free” and “I Get Lifted.” Her strong band, including Jafet Perez on percussion and Max Bronstein on guitar, expertly drove those songs. Don’t miss The Jelly Jam at JAM NOLA on Wednesday, April 29.

When you walk past the Fais Do Do stage and witness the urgency of Doctor Nativo, you stop and pay attention. It felt both ancestral and contemporary, raw and spiritual, bursting with something to say. This Central American performer will be added to my listening list.

Mahmoud Chouki has played Jazz Fest for the past five years with the Lagniappe Stage as his home. He’s built a solid audience with open ears for wherever his music takes them and whomever he collaborates with. Armed with his cigar box oud, the Moroccan musician and his nuanced band, including pianist Oscar Rossignoli, took us through beautifully textured modes.

James Rivers is a New Orleans and world treasure, one who I will catch every time. The legendary saxophonist can play anything under the sun and do it with such a beautiful tone and feel that the WWOZ Jazz Tent is blessed whenever he graces the stage. I love that he got a kick out of closing with a medley that began with “Down By The Riverside” and even threw in “Don’t Mess With My Toot Toot.”

Staying in the same tent, without reservation, I speak the same accolades of John Boutté. He’s a New Orleans and world treasure, plus he always puts the real in the deal. You know he was going to bring out the driving striving “One Of These Days.” He slowed things down with a beautifully rendered “All Of Me.” The song that really got me was a stunning “Bésame Mucho.” Oscar Rossignoli must’ve skated over to hit the stage and be a key part of Boutté’s strong band.

Though I heard Burning Spear putting on a great show, as expected, to a Congo Square Stage crowd growing by the minute for the legend himself as well as headliner Nas, I was on a mission to the Rhythmporium.

Watching the musical journey of Kr3wcial (or to those who know, Kr3w-ciaaal!) has been a beautiful thing. Thank goodness the glbl wrmng collective provided the house to let the man feel the freedom to develop. And now—now, Kr3wcial can do anything he wants and do it exceptionally well. Rapper with bars and flow? Check. Soulful singer? Check. Everything else? Big check. The More Love Band was there every step of the way, and the crowd was all in for it. I especially loved what Yahel Yisrael on keys brought to the table. Here’s something I didn’t expect—the symbiotic musical connection between Kr3wcial and saxophonist Khiry Bey, who was also front and center. Her playing felt like a unique yet extension of his vocals, and the power of this duo within the band was clear.

Nas to me and many is the GOAT. That’s just facts. When he played Jazz Fest a few years back, the Soul Rebels Brass Band backed him along with DJ Green Lantern. What was in store this time? A man having the time of his life who praised multiple times, “I feel at home in New Orleans.” A man who spoke of his love for all music including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Run DMC, Bob Marley. A man who led a sing-along of “My Girl” with “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day” as the rain showers rolled in. A man who didn’t need an elaborate stage show to have the crowd joyously rocking to his entire performance.

Nas entered to “Get Down” and it was on. This was an Illmatic-strong set, which was befitting the best rap album of all time. “One Time 4 Your Mind,” “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Life’s a Bitch,” “The World Is Yours,” and “Memory Lane” were represented. The deep lyricism of “One Mic” especially came to life. Add in a grooving “Street Dreams,” a rousing “Hate Me Now,” a sing-along to “Rock With You,” and an expansive “If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)” to make for a cathartic experience perfectly capped by the cleansing rain.
—Michael Allen Zell