Despite some dark clouds in the distance, the rain held off during the second Friday of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The crowds were a little lighter than they had been in previous days, but country musician Luke Combs still brought out a large, younger audience for his crowd-pleasing Festival Stage set.
Over on the Fais Do-Do stage, though, there was a celebration of one of Louisiana’s iconic musicians, Clifton Chenier. And from the first notes, people were bouncing and a few couples were dancing along the edge of the crowd. Zydeco is dance music, after all, and Chenier was the “king of zydeco.”
June 25 marks 100 years since Chenier was born in Opelousas, and several releases and events this year are celebrating the pioneering Louisiana musician. Chenier died in 1987 at the age of 62.
Led by Clifton’s son, accordionist and vocalist C.J. Chenier playing one of his father’s accordions, the tribute set rolled through a number of songs recorded by the zydeco great, like “My Baby She’s Gone to Stay” and “You Used to Call Me.” And several guest musicians got the spotlight, including blues pianist Marcia Ball, zydeco musician Curley Taylor and Roddie Romero, who pulled double duty on guitar and accordion.
Backing Chenier and the guest musicians was an all-star band that included Sherelle Chenier Mouton (Clifton’s grand-niece) on washboard and Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo as well as pianist Eric Adcock, saxophonist Derek Huston, bassist Lee Allen Zeno and drummer Jermaine Prejean. This was a rock-solid band of players deeply ensconced in zydeco and the music of Acadiana.
Along with a celebration of Chenier’s music, the show also served as a kind of teaser for an upcoming album, “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” being released June 27 on Joel Savoy’s Valcour Records. The musicians on the Fais Do-Do Stage played on the album — along with The Rolling Stones, who lead off the album by covering “Zydeco Son Pas Sale.” Sadly, Mick Jagger wasn’t spotted on the Fair Grounds Friday.
If you’re at Jazz Fest this weekend, pop into the Grandstand for an exhibit about Chenier organized by the New Orleans Jazz Museum. There are rare photos, video from Les Blank’s documentary “Hot Pepper” playing and Chenier’s crown on display.
Over on the Lagniappe Stage earlier Friday, It felt more like a festival from the late ’80s or ’90s during 007’s set — which makes sense given the fact that the band and pretty much everybody in the paddock were squarely in the target audience for those silly I DRANK FROM A HOSE memes.
All your classic Gen X fest archetypes were there: the wobble dancer, the shaggy shuffler, the mom hand dancers and of course the “I just hit somebody’s joint and I’m high” left-to-right weight shifter.
The brainchild of G. Love and Special Sauce drummer Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens, 007 also boasts Joe Cabral, Jonathan Freilich and Alex McMurray, so basically some of the city’s musical heavy hitters playing rocksteady — the perfect soundtrack for a lovely afternoon. The band played a number of Jamaican classics, like “Take It Easy,” as well as rocksteady covers, including an excellent take on “Summer Breeze.”
The Gen X reunion vibes also were strong at the Gentilly Stage when Joan Jett & the Blackhearts came out.
For more than 40 years, Jett has been proving not only is she the one true queen of rock ‘n’ roll — but also the very best her very problematic generation has to offer.
Jett played some of the classics like The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb,” of course, but she also played songs from her four-plus decade catalogue, including “Fake friends,” “Light of Day” which Bruce Springsteen wrote for Jett to perform in the 1987 movie and “Make the Music Go Boom” from her 2023 record “Mindset.”
She also played an excellent — and topical — cover of The Replacements’ “Androgynous,” a celebration of trans and gender-nonconforming people.
Alexey Marti is an accomplished percussionist, but in the Jazz Tent Friday, Marti spent more time showing off his skills as a bandleader. The Cuban-born Marti roamed the stage and directed his nine-person band through a set that ranged from Latin genres to jazz, funk and soul.
Marti still demonstrated his abilities behind the conga, particularly on his original, “Carnival,” but he turned the show over to celebrated percussionist Weedie Braimah for a couple of songs. He also put the spotlight more on the members of his band, including Cuban trumpet player David Navarro and pianist Ronald Rodriguez.
BIM “Benin International Music” performed on the Congo Square Stage on Friday, May 2, 2025.
Benin International Musical, or BIM, is one of those bands you’re glad play again the next day. The Benin-born group rocked the Congo Square Stage and the Jazz & Heritage Stage, and it wasn’t enough time. BIM plays West African-rooted music that’s been supercharged through rock and hip-hop with a little dance-punk thrown in for good measure.
Their vocalists rap in Fon, Yoruba and a little bit of English with a style that calls back to The Fugees, and the guitarist wasn’t afraid to let loose. While it’s a unique style, in BIM’s hands, it isn’t hard to see the root relationships between West Africa and American-born rock and hip-hop — with New Orleans planted in the middle. The band, which is influenced by vodoun ceremony, also nodded to their spiritual connections to New Orleans.
Four shows may not be enough. They play again Saturday at 2:35 p.m. on the Jazz & Heritage Stage and at 5:30 p.m. in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion.
Son Rompe Pera is another band playing four sets during Jazz Fest, and again: See them any chance you can. The young Mexico City band’s ethos (and the name of one of their songs) is “cumbia is the new punk,” and that was easy to see on the Jazz & Heritage Stage. The five-piece band’s set fused cumbia with psychedelia, garage rock and a little hardcore punk for an energetic and fascinating show. There may have never been a harder working marimba maniac than Kacho Gama, who started the band with his brothers Mongo and Kilos. It was a sweaty, fun show casting cumbia in a new light.
Son Rompe Pera plays again Saturday at 11:20 a.m. on the Festival Stage and at 2:40 p.m. in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion.
Gambit's writers will be posting recaps and special reports each day of the festival.