A Handful of JazzFest: 5 Acts to Watch on Friday, May 4

Rodrigo y Gabriela

On Friday at the Jazz Fest, it's your only chance to see a legendary soul singer, a local rapper plays one of his last gigs before heading back to jail and some serious acoustic guitar shredding is planned to close out the day. Make scanning the cubes a little easier with these suggestions:

Mavis Staples

4:50 p.m., Gospel Tent

Her solo set is out in the Gospel Tent and her main Fair Grounds gig got canceled because of an untimely death, but there remains no reason to miss soul diva Mavis Staples. Like many soul singers, Staples got her start in church, and she continues to hang her hat on the gospel mantle these days. Perhaps some of the elder JazzFest bookings are limping in to belt out a few of their old hits and head back into the shadows until the next fest comes calling, but this legend of the Civil Rights Movement has continued to release albums at a steady clip, turning out four releases since 2004. The most recent, "You Are Not Alone," was especially designed to keep her positioned in the relevant category with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy having been a prime collaborator. Look for Staples to bring the Gospel Tent alive for this mid-afternoon set. Since this is the only chance to see her this year, be sure to arrive early to get a seat.

Feufollet

12:25 p.m., Fais Do-Do Stage

The Fais Do-Do Stage is usually the province of salt-and-pepper Cajuns working to keep the tradition alive. But every now and again, the kids get a turn. Feufollet's Friday morning set represents one of those occasions. Now in the their 20s, the Lafayette band is about double the age they were when they started playing music, but they're still young enough to be the progeny of most of the stage's other players. With their use of acoustic guitar and singer Anna Laura Edmiston's lilting voice, there's no doubt that they put a modern spin on traditional Cajun music. But it's not like they're going for the mainstream, as they're still speaking the patois. And, anyway, a little variation is welcome at a festival setting where two acts will at times repeat songs in back-to-back sets.

Mystikal

3:55 p.m., Congo Square Stage

Though he's going back to prison later this month, Mystikal remains on the bill for today's afternoon set at Congo Square. Before the big news about the Big House, the much-loved New Orleans rapper was on something of a comeback. He broke the old 90s NOLA rap rivalry wide open by signing with No Limit rivals Cash Money Records, and debuted a new single that was getting plenty of national attention. His good form is likely to still be on display this afternoon, despite the looming bad news. This being a hip-hop set, don't expect him to finish any songs. But at least there will probably be guest stars. Recent collaborator Mannie Fresh is a good bet.

Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A.

5:35 p.m., Gentilly Stage

If the name of this act has "Can-Can" from Buena Vista Social Club buzzing through your head, listen to that album now. You aren't getting a lick of it that this Gentilly Fest stage. Rodrigo Gabriela are a talented guitar duo, and they're surely influenced in Hispanic guitar traditions that go way back. But they were drawn together by a love of Metallica and Led Zeppelin, and once played in a thrash metal band. That is to say, they can seriously shred. Once upon a time, they were those hotel performers playing lounged up versions of hard rock songs in hotel lobbies. Now, they're free to work the fretboard as fast as they want playing to big crowds around the world. If you hold up the metal sign during this set, we won't tell anyone.

Baritone Bliss

1:40 p.m., Jazz Tent

One of the joys of JazzFest that makes the ticket worth the price of admission for locals is getting to see a whole bunch of musicians on stage that don't normally play together - and aren't even usually in town at the same time these days. This afternoon's Baritone Bliss explores that most overlooked of brass band instruments, the low-end dynamo of the bari-sax. The names in the lineup alone are enough to make this one intriguing, with Dirty Dozen Brass Band original Roger Lewis, Astral Project's Tony DaGradi, local luminaries Calvin Johnson and Tim Green, and Orleans Avenue's Dan Oestreicher. If the bari-sax ever seemed to be lacking versatility, check out this show and see how far it can stretch out when it gets some time up front.

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A Handful of JazzFest: 5 Acts to Watch on Friday, May 4

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