Part three in our five-part series, where a gaggle of Hall of Famers step in to replace another Hall of Famer.

Most of my comrades decided to take this day off, since Friday seemed to present perhaps the least best overall lineup of the weekend. But they missed out on some great stuff. It was an overcast day that threatened rain, but the weather gods were most kind as the precipitation held off until just after the festival ended on Sunday.

Astral Project, WWOZ Jazz Tent
Jazzfest brings in lots of great rock bands to up the fun factor and sell more tickets, but I was definitely of a mindset to catch some jazzy jazz too. The Astral Project’s 1:30 pm set delivered in a big way. In contrast to the main stages, the jazz and blues tents feature rows and rows of seating. It can still be hard to find seats though, and the tent was pretty packed for this performance. But there’s an usher who works to help stragglers find seats, and it was nice to get one after the late night out. Local daily paper The Times-Picayune has called the Astral Project the city’s “premier modern jazz ensemble,â€� and there were few who would disagree after this great set. Drummer John Vidacovich, saxman Tony Dagradi, guitarist Steve Masakowski and bassist James Singleton form a dynamic quartet. The songs were mostly up-tempo with lots of changes, hot solos and just plain great playing that received numerous rounds of applause from the appreciative audience.

Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Congo Square Stage
Trumpet ace Kermit Ruffins came up with the Rebirth Brass Band (which he co-founded) and now fronts his own unit. Ruffins and his current band mix the jazzy jazz with elements of funk, pop and hip-hop for a genre-bending unit that has become a New Orleans classic. Some might also recognize Ruffins from a recurring role on HBO’s new show “Treme,â€� which takes place in New Orleans. A groovy take on “I Can See Clearly Nowâ€� was a hit with the crowd in the mid-afternoon time slot. The sky was gray, but with no rain it felt indeed like a “bright, sunshiny day.â€� The smooth horn lines sounded great over the upbeat groove, while Ruffins’ vocals conjured a nostalgic big band era. Ruffins then stepped up and delivered one of the best trumpet solos of the weekend, exploring the melody with full jazzy flair.

Forgotten Souls Brass Band, Jazz and Heritage Stage
This small stage near the main entrance of the fairgrounds featured a series of great brass bands throughout the weekend. Almost any time you walked by, there was a brass brand making sure things stayed jazzy and funky. The Forgotten Souls had a big lineup and a classic sound that drew in most who walked by.

The second of our five-part series, Greg Schwartz spends five days in New Orleans, absorbing more music than one thought humanly possible, grinning ear to ear the entire time.

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Acura Stage
Music started at the fairgrounds in the 11 am hour, but I felt like I was doing well to make it there by 1:30 pm for the main stage set by Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. I’d caught Dumpstaphunk opening for Phil Lesh & Friends at their January 2008 Mardis Gras show in San Francisco, so I knew this was a band not to miss. Ivan is of course one of the legendary Neville Brothers, so the band’s sound is rooted in that classic New Orleans funk style pioneered by the Meters (which featured Art Neville, and later also Cyril Neville.) It was a picture-perfect beautiful, breezy sunny afternoon and hearing these funky sounds kicked things off in high style. Bassist Tony Hall, who some might recognize from his time served with the Trey Anastasio Band, was a star of the show. He laid down a bright punchy low end that made every tune bounce, and also sang with soulful flair on songs like Sly and the Family Stone’s “You Can Make it if You Try.â€�

Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys, Gentilly Stage
The Gentilly Stage is the second biggest stage and the furthest walk from the main stage, but it still only takes five to ten minutes to get over there (as opposed to some festivals where certain stages can be much farther apart.) Local lass Amanda Shaw drew a large crowd to hear her high-energy, rootsy country rock sound as she led the band on fiddle. A spunky cover of the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Goâ€� got things rocking as the charismatic Shaw sang with punk energy, but then injected Cajun-rooted fiddle runs for a unique take on the punk classic. Shaw’s instrumental talent shined brightest on an instrumental tune that closed the set with a bluesier flavor. The 19-year-old New Orleans native soloed brilliantly, while also moving and grooving with a dynamic stage presence making her one to watch moving forward.

Gov’t Mule, Acura Stage
Warren Haynes and his blues rock quartet took the main stage at 2:50 pm and rocked out for the next hour. “Broke Down on the Brazosâ€� from the band’s latest album By a Thread was an early highlight, with Haynes riffing out on the high-octane jam. “Beautifully Brokenâ€� slowed things down a bit, but sounded great on such a sunny afternoon. An instrumental jam went in a decidely Allman-ish direction, and even featured a “Blue Skiesâ€� tease that unfortunately did not fully materialize (the Allman Brothers Band had however played the festival on the previous weekend.) Haynes then sang a little bit of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Wantâ€� before returning to the jam. Mule standard “Thorazine Shuffleâ€� cranked the blues rock back up to peak level, with Haynes throwing in a “Get Up Stand Upâ€� tease on his guitar. The man is a classic rock encyclopedia, which makes every Mule set an adventure since you never know what tune might pop up.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

The second weekend of Jazzfest saw fans enjoy a beautiful sunny day of music, although potential thunderstorms loom. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk rocked the main stage in the 1:20 pm slot, with bassist Tony Hall leading the way via his super funk playing. “You Can Make It” was a great funky anthem to get attendees going who were still waking up from the previous late night out.

Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys (pictured above) drew a big crowd to the Gentilly Stage, where Shaw’s bluegrassy rock entertained. A cover of The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” mixed punk energy with bluegrassy fiddle breaks from Shaw with great results.

Gov’t Mule threw down an hour-long set back on the main stage, with guitarist Warren Haynes tearing it up as usual (after he’d been out late jamming with Eric Krasno at Maison the previous night.) Teases of classics like “Blue Skies” and “Get Up Stand Up” fit nicely with Mule’s bluesy hard rock on the sunny day.

New Orleans‘ own Soul Rebels entertained with jazzy flair on the Congo Square Stage, while Steve Martin and his Steep Canyon Rangers drew a huge crowd to the Gentilly Stage for their 3:35 pm set. One fan said it was the largest crowd he’d ever seen at that stage. Martin is a great banjo player and his crossover appeal made this set a huge draw.

Widespread Panic closed out the main stage with a massive two-and-a-half hour set that featured an extended sit-in by four-piece horn section, the Megablasters. The extra horns added a great touch to “Up All Night,” a laid-back rocker that is easily the anthem of the festival (since most fans are out on the town all night it seems.) A rip-rocking “Tallboy” followed for Spreadhead heaven. Many choices abounded. Other bands playing at the same time as Panic included Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, the Average White Band, Blues Traveler and more.

The Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band threw down an incendiary evening show at the House of Blues, featuring mainly great new material and a couple choice covers like Clapton’s “Coming Home” and The Beatles’ “I Got a Feeling.” They’ve got bassist Oteil Burbridge in the band now, along with his brother Kofi on keys, plus two drummers and two backing singers to formwhat is easily one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet today. Trucks & Tedeschi close out the Gentilly Stage today for what should be another highlight performance.