Little Freddie King was already a big glowing square on my Jazz Fest schedule, but his single-song appearance at the Ponderosa Stomp last night really whetted my appetite. You see, despite his modest moniker and innocent smile on the cover of his MadeWright Records release, Messin' Around Tha House, Freddie's got more fire in him than plenty of performers half his age. Now I don't just mean that he can flick out devious blues riffs in his sleep; he can really (to employ some antiquated slang) shake a leg.

Little Freddie King shakes a leg

Earlier in the day, the Honey Island Swamp Band put on a monster show over on the Gentilly Stage. Guitarist/singer Chris Mulé and bassist/singer Sam Price blended so perfectly and played with amazing precision. The band's wide span of genre-meddlings, from crunchy blues to swampy funk, and their similarly diverse instrumentation were more than enough to light a spark within crowd members of all musical persuasions.

Chris Mulé and Sam Price of Honey Island Swamp Band