Bill Summers is a New Orleans-based fixture on the Afro-Cuban and Latin percussion scene. The Detroit, Michigan native studied classical piano as a youngster, but morphed into a percussionist as he came of age. Now recognized as one of the elders of world beat rhythms, he s... Read more

Saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr. is both a modern jazz trendsetter and bearer of deep New Orleans cultural traditions. From his work with Art Blakey to his role as a Big Chief of a Mardi Gras Indian tribe, Harrison is the personification of New Orleans past and present. Har... Read more

Tonya Boyd Cannon wowed audiences and judges on NBC’s “The Voice,” and brings that same spirit and talent to every stage she graces. The Mississippi-born, Louisiana-bred singer and songwriter easily weaves her way through deep soul and ballads to jazz to funk to gospel, and... Read more

Fiddler Amanda Shaw has grown from a child prodigy to a mature and enduring force in contemporary Cajun music. The festival favorite, born in 1991, grew up in Mandeville, Louisiana, took her first classical violin lesson at age four, and at age seven became the youngest sol... Read more

Stanton Moore brings impeccable drumming, a collaborative spirit, and his jovial personality to every musical and educational endeavor he engages in. The Grammy-winning musician and educator is perhaps best known as one of the founding members of the funk-jazz band Galactic... Read more

Doreen Ketchens honed her traditional jazz clarinet chops in the streets of New Orleans, and can still be seen as a street performer on Royal Street in the historic French Quarter with her band, Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans. Born in 1966 in the historic Treme neighborhood, Ket... Read more

Ben Jaffe is impossible to summarize in the space given here. The tuba and double bass player leads the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, is the creative director of the institution, is the Chairman of the Board of the Preservation Hall Foundation, and, as the New York Times put... Read more

Yoshitaka "Z2" Tsuji came to New Orleans from his native Osaka, Japan, and has impressed audiences since Day 1 with his huge talent as a pianist and composer. Tsuji, better known as Z2, gained fame as the pianist with Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers, but has also e... Read more

Vivaz is a Latin band extraordinaire, incorporating jazz, Brazilian, flamenco, and tropical flavors into a unique and energetic sound. Led by the Bolivian-born guitarist and vocalist Javier Gutierrez, the ensemble incorporates an expansive percussion section, piano, bass,  ... Read more