Gambit Picks for Sunday

WeekWeek 2 2 previewspreviews

CoreyLedetBand

THURSDAY, MAY 5 3:00 P.M.-4:00 P.M. SHERATON NEW ORLEANS FAIS-DO-DO STAGE

Corey Ledet is dedicating his talents to keeping Creole and zydeco traditions alive and has drawn two Grammy nominations in recent years.

Though raised in Houston, Ledet’s family is from South Louisiana, and his Creole heritage has always influenced his way of life and music. He’s a talented multiinstrumentalist who plays accordion, drums, washboard, bass and rhythm guitar, and the fiddle — plus he sings in both English and in Kouri-Vini, a distinct Creole dialect of St. Martin Parish. Notable influences include Clifton Chenier, John Delafose and Boozoo Chavis.

Ledet says he hits the road as much as possible to play in New Orleans, two hours away from his home in the tiny town of Parks in St. Martin Parish.

“Any time I can get over there, I’m there,” he says.

The COVID-19 shutdowns and the loss of gigs spurred him to get a day job in an Amazon warehouse, but he’s been steadily booking more shows and hopes the momentum will continue long after festival season ends.

Recently, Ledet jammed at French Quarter Fest with Soul Creole, which he describes as an improvisational Francophone group. “We don’t really practice or rehearse,” he says. “We kinda just get up there and play whatever pops into our heads.”

At Jazz Fest, he’s looking forward to playing songs off “Corey Ledet Zydeco,” which was released last year on Louis Michot’s Nouveau Electric Records and was nominated for a 2022 Grammy. — SARAH RAVITS

LibbyRaeWatson

THURSDAY, MAY 5 3:55 P.M.-4:55 P.M. LAGNIAPPE STAGE

Smitten with the blues since the age of 14, musician Libby Rae Watson’s distinctive voice captivates listeners. After discovering a songbook filled with music from

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Corey Ledet Band

THURSDAY,MAY5 3:00P.M.-4:00P.M. NEWORLEANSFAISDO-DOSTAGE

greats that included Son House, Mississippi John Hurt and Elizabeth Cotten, Watson decided to pursue a career in music.

Watson was later mentored by Sam Chatmon, who at the time was the last surviving member of the Mississippi Sheiks, and she spent time with many of the Delta’s biggest names. Her song “Big Joe,” for instance, is based on a true story about the first time she met the legendary bluesman in 1978.

Watson’s art of storytelling accompanies her uncanny mastery of the strings. As a Mississippi native, her love for her home is expressed in “Darkness on the Delta,” and the single is a mixture of country blues and soulful brass.

The way she sees it, she never had to seek out the blues. It came to her and has stayed with her ever since.

“I didn’t plan to go ‘find’ the Blues,” Watson says on her website. “The Blues found me. I’ve been consumed by it for over 40 years!”

Watson returns to Jazz Fest for the first time in more than 20 years, and the HooDoo Men will join her.