The last weekend of this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is in full swing, with the Fairgrounds packed with performances by dozens of artists each day and the city alive with late-night performances running well beyond after the sun comes up. Yesterday, saw an abundance of incredible musicians grace the various stages across the Crescent City on Cinco De Mayo following the end of Friday’s official Jazz Fest performances for the day, and luckily, photographer Dave Vann was there to capture some of the action as it went down.

As always, Jazz Fest Late Nights are expansive, and no amount of coverage could truly do the bounty of musical collaborations across the city justice, so we’ll just give you a taste of the musical insanity that was going down across the city. At the Orpheum Theater, Austin’s four-piece rock group White Denim took to the stage early, putting on a lively performance that got folks primed for Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Denson and his Tiny Universe compadres planned a special performance in store—their tribute to The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St. (a fitting tribute considering that Denson himself joined The Rolling Stones as a touring member back in 2014) with the group’s take New Orleans take on the classic album dubbed Exile On Bourbon St.—for the fans who made it out.

Across the way, The Howlin’ Wolf was going off with the 15th Annual Bayou Rendezvous underway since 9 p.m. and no plans of stopping until after breakfast was served this morning. In addition to the all-star super-groups gathered for the evening to headline the event—Dr. Klaw featuring the Shady Horns and the Bayou Rendezvous All-Stars—a number of other big names were rounding out the other seven performance slots across the event’s two stages. In the wee hours of the morning, Orgone and Lebo And Friends—brought together by Dan Lebowitz of ALO and Steve Kimock fame and featuring Steve Adams (ALO, Nicki Bluhm), Stu Allen (JGB Band, Phil Lesh), and Jay Lane (Ratdog, Primus)—were just starting their night around 4 AM.

 

The 15th Annual Bayou Rendezvous Takes Over The Howlin’ Wolf For Jazz Fest [Photos]

A favorite of Jazz Fest Late Nights was also happening over at The Maison, Worship My Organ, a late-night tradition that brings together world-renowned organ players to team up and get into. Continuing again tonight, this year’s iteration featured organ wizards John Medeski of Medeski, Martin, & Wood, Marco Benevento of the Benevento Russo Duo, and Robert Walter of the Greyboy Allstars all holding it down on the Hammond B3. These three virtuosos were complimented by saxophonist Skerik (Les Claypool), drummer Daru Jones (Jack White), and DJ Logic (John Popper Project).

Check out our photo coverage of these awesome event below, courtesy of Dave Vann, and stayed tuned as a bunch more of Live For Live Music’s Jazz Fest coverage is coming your way.