JuJu highlights our favorite 5 for the most promising local Jazzfest newbs of 2012.
by Amy Suin

Featured image by: Zack Smith

Brass Bed

In New Orleans, when we see the word ‘brass’ I think we know what to expect — but that’s not at all the case with Brass Bed.

This Lafayette pop/rock 4-piece is sure to be a breath of fresh air at the festival. Their songs are beautiful, with a 60′s reminiscent sentimentality, and easy to fall in love with the first time. Their sound is refined and textural, and they have an arsenal of great recordings to back it up. We look forward to hearing a lot more about this awesome band in the months to come.

Brass Bed plays at 5:45pm on the second Friday, May 4th, at the Lagniappe Stage.

Empress Hotel

The fest will be a special chance to see indie band Empress Hotel, who have not been playing out lately, as members have been focusing on other projects. Interestingly, they are one of the only New Orleans indie bands that have been included in this year’s lineup.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the band that you’ve heard oh-so-much about, live, as they play their first time at the fest.

Catch them while you can! Empress Hotel is playing on the first Saturday, April 28th, at 11:20am on the Acura Stage.

 

Courtney Bryan

New Orleans native, Courtney Bryan, takes a break from gigging in New York to make her Jazz Fest debut. This young woman is an astoundingly talented jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, and yet has somehow stayed under the local music scene’s radar thus far. We are confident that will change after her performance next weekend.

Courtney will playing on the second Friday, May 4th, 11:15am at the WWOZ tent.

 

 

Tarriona “Tank” Ball

Tank is a genuine powerhouse. With a sound that is kind of like a cross between gospel and broadway, she seems to warm every inch of the stage with her colorful, theatrical personality and glowing voice. Hers is a special kind of performance, one that radiates the larger-than-life character she so naturally is.

See her on the second Saturday of Jazz Fest, May 5th, at 11:20am on the Congo Square Stage.

 

 

Sam Doores and the Tumbleweeds

These dudes deliver all the best things about country music — a meat-and-potatoes kind of melancholy and grit that hits you right in the heart. They have an intimate vibe — when the band jumps in to sing harmonies on the choruses, you feel like they’re about to pass you a bottle of moonshine and invite you into sing right along with them.

Catch Sam Doores and the Tumbleweeds at 12:35pm on the second Saturday, May 5th, at the Lagniappe Stage.