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Eric E. Simon

Legendary bluesman Walter "Wolfman" Washington will play Saturday, October 15. Photo by Eric E. Simon

Paying Homage to the Blues

Before New Orleans’ trumpeters began shaping the sounds of jazz, the blues were born out of African-American spirituals and work songs in the Mississippi Delta.

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Before New Orleans’ trumpeters began belting out the sounds of jazz, the blues were being born out of African-American work songs and spirituals in the Mississippi Delta. Known for its deeply emotional lyrics, the genre was shaped by early pioneers such as Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, and Muddy Waters. As the music spread across the Deep South, it became the roots for later forms of music, laying the foundation for jazz, R&B, and rock and roll. 

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation pays homage to this timeless music during the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival in New Orleans’ Lafayette Square October 14—16, 2022. Returning for the first time since before the COVID pandemic, many top blues performers from around South Louisiana and Mississippi will take over two stages in the heart of the city’s central business district, to deliver three days of unforgettable live music performances.

Headlined by Charlie Musselwhite (aka “Memphis Charlie”), and Texas-born blues and folk singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster, the festival’s fifteenth edition presents an all-star line-up. Plan ahead and pick your days based on the listing below, or bring your picnic blankets and stake out some ground for an entire weekend of blues and BBQ. Here’s who’ll be playing:

Friday, October 14

  • Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
  • Robert Finley

Saturday, October 15

  • Wolfe Johns Blues Band
  • Mem Shannon & the Membership
  • Mia Borders
  • Walter Wolfman Washington
  • Layla Musselwhite
  • Mr. Sipp
  • Kenny Neal
  • Charlie Musselwhite

Sunday, October 16

  • Kevin & the Blues Groovers
  • DK Harrell
  • Trudy Lynn
  • Little Freddie King
  • Eric Johanson
  • Joy Clark
  • Johnny Sansone
  • Ruthie Foster

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is free and open to the public thanks to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. If you can’t make all three days, tune in to WWOZ New Orleans 90.7 FM for a live broadcast from Lafayette Square. You’ll find it over the air and live-streaming video at www.wwoz.org, and on the Foundation’s Facebook page.