[Concert] NOLA Jazz Festival '08

Man, we've gotten buried with a such a barrage of non-stop festival announcements that we've neglected some our favorite festival mainstays. Case in point, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

This festival -- which has pretty much set the standard for city-oriented festivals in the U.S. -- is set to take place April 25-27 and May 1-4. Here are a few of the bigger names making appearances this year:

The Neville Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Tim McGraw, Santana,Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Sheryl Crow, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Al Green, Diana Krall,Keyshia Cole, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The Raconteurs, Irma ThomasSteel Pulse, John Prine, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, Randy Newman, Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea, O.A.R., Galactic, The Roots, Dianne Reeves, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Burning Spear, Ozomatli with Chali 2na, Rebirth Brass Band, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tower of Power, Delbert McClinton, John Hammond, Cassandra Wilson, Keb’ Mo’, The Count Basie Orchestra feat. Patti Austin, Pete Fountain, The Derek Trucks Band, Richard Thompson, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, The Radiators, James Cotton, Cupid, The John Butler Trio, Del McCoury, Vernel Bagneris: Jelly Roll & Me, Terence Blanchard with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Buckwheat Zydeco, John P. Kee & the New Life Community Choir, Cowboy Mouth, Byron Cage with Kim Burrell, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr. and the Greater St. Stephen Choir, Trinitee 5:7, Lizz Wright, Voices of the Wetlands Allstars, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Bad Plus, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Bettye LaVette, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave., Gene “Duke of Earl” Chandler, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Davell Crawford’s N.O. R & B Orchestra, Henry Butler, Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Leo Nocentelli’s “Rare Gathering," Lee Boys, Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, MOOV of Martinique, Jackson Southernaires, Big Jay McNeely, Paul Porter of the Legendary Christianaires, Nicholas Payton and thousands more!

They've now released the set times for all seven days of the festival, hooking us up with their scheduling "Cubes" to help us wade through the enormous mess of artists and bands:

April
Friday 4/25

Saturday 4/26

Sunday 4/27

May

Thursday 5/1

Friday 5/2

Saturday 5/3

Sunday 5/4

Like other massive music festivals, this can be a bit overwhelming to schedule properly. Try as you might, you probably just can't check out every band your little heart desires. Of course, Jazz Fest is great in the sense that even when you get off track, you're bound to wander into some bar or by a random street corner and catch a great show by musicians you may have never even heard.

Anybody going this year?