Inside the House of Blues on Monday night, the blue spotlight auras encircled a myriad of pianists who took the stage front and center while their accompaniment grooved behind them.  Piano Night is an annual event that highlights talented keyboardists of all varieties and gives enthusiasts a chance to witness a living room playalong built to a larger scale.  

Tonight, see some world-class pianists tickle the ivories at WWOZ's annual Piano Night. Experimental indie rockers Deerhunter are at One Eyed Jacks, plus there's weekly gigs from Frenchmen to Maple Street. Now, more to do this Monday.

The purists who annually get their hackles up about how the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival headliners seem to have fewer and fewer ties to the musical tradition the festival was originally designed to showcase might be sated if only the branding were updated. But based on its persistent popularity, it seems unlikely that the organizers will stop drawing more from the “Heritage” side as opposed to the “Jazz.”  WWOZ’s annual Piano Night, however, faces no such controversy either in name or scope.  

Tonight, head to Lafayette Square for a free concert from Ms. Marcia Ball. On Elysian Fields, enjoy peformances and a panel discussion with Trixie Minx, Nanette Ladet, and more. On this day in 1934, Rev. Gerald Smith delivered a speech to Sulphur’s “Share Our Wealth” Club. Now, more to do this chilly Wednesday. 

May 4, the date of the first Grammy Awards (1959), The Kent State University student killings by members of Ohio’s National Guard (1970), the first Kiss concert (1976); the birthday of Audrey Hepburn (1929), Keith Haring (1958) and moonman Lance Bass (1979). It was also the date of Sherlock Holmes’ apparent death at Reichenbach Falls, Switzerland (1981). An impressive list of historic events, but nothing beats what’s on today’s NOLA plate:

May 2, the day that President Johnson offered a $100,000 reward for the capture of Jefferson Davis, in relation to his being behind Lincoln’s assassination, 1865. Eight days later, Jefferson would eventually be captured by Federal/Union troops. On this day in 1949, Arthur Miller received the Pulitzer for his ‘Death of  Salesman’; ironically, Joseph McCarthy died eight years later, on this same day, as did Leonardo Da Vinci, in 1519. Lake Charles, LA’s favorite astronaut Domonic L Pugwill Gorie was born (1957), and Diane Crump became the first female jockey to compete in the Kentucky Derby (1970).

Hola Nola, and hola the first non-celebrity music mixtape in weeks. The original Hola Nola hop skip and jump is back to address the announcing of the cubes - the Jazzfest cubes, that is. The schedule is out for this year's fete at the Fair Grounds, and decisions must be made. The following playlist goes through my top two choices per day, and the sacrifices that will need to be made when circling (in pencil) the who/what/where from April 29th-May 8th.