Tagged: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jazz horns, Cajun fiddles, zydeco washboards and rock guitars — they'll all be heard at the same place when the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks off tomorrow. Performances by soul singer Irma Thomas, the Beach Boys, the rock band Zebra, jazz clarinetist Tim Laughlin, Buckwheat Zydeco and others open this year's event. 

Poncho Sanchez is one of the world's greatest conga players — and has led his own band now for 32 years. Sanchez and his band — featuring special guest Terence Blanchard — play Jazz Fest on Friday, April 27th.

Dianne Reeves is one of the world's finest jazz singers, and through the years she has hired a lot of New Orleans musicians for her bands — including Herlin Riley, Chris Severin, David Torkanowsky — and these days, pianist Peter Martin and bassist Reginald Veal, who will be featured in her quintet at Jazz Fest.