The fledgling festival boasted an impressive attendance of 8,000 people and both the public and the vendors urged the presenters to expand the neighborhood celebration from one to two days. The free 2009 edition will be held at Pontchartrain Park (corner of Press and Prentiss Drives) on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 complete with two new venues, a Gospel Tent and a Kid's Stage along with the Main Stage.

Many of the musicians, some of whom have ties to the neighborhood, return to perform at this year's festival. They include the always-effervescent Charmaine Neville (Saturday, 11 a.m.), New Orelans singular jazz vocalists Phillip Manuel, who hails from Gentilly, teamed with Leah Chase (Saturday, 2:45 p.m.) and the funky, street kings the ReBirth Brass Band (Saturday 4 p.m.).

The festival brought out the big guns to close each day on the Main Stage. The Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, takes the bandstand at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday evening. Because she lives nearby, Mercedes explains that the neighborhood and festival claim her as their own.

Fans of funk and soul a sure to rejoice at a rare reunion appearance by Chocolate Milk. The New Orleans group caused excitement starting in the mid-1970s with recordings like Action Speaks Louder Than Words. It also acted as the house band at SeaSaint Studios and  was often heard backing up pianist/vocalist Allen Toussaint. Chocolate Milk caps off the festival performing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The new Gospel Tent presents some of the finest and most-loved groups in the city. Praising in song are legends like the Zion Harmonizers (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) and the mighty Watson Memorial Church Choir (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.). Over at the Kid's Tent, local school bands will entertain and perhaps even inspire some youngsters to take up an instrument. Scattered around the festival they'll be activities for children like pony rides and face painting.

Where there is a festival in New Orleans, there is, of course, great food. The mouth-watering offerings include crawfish, turkey necks, fried chicken, soft-shell crab, Caribbean fish and much more made with love by local restaurants. Forty arts and crafts booths will offer a variety of merchandise ranging from hand-crafted works to books.

Last year, the festival, which is presented by the non-profit Gentilly Civic Improvement Association, donated $22,000 to the neighborhood's fire and police departments. With an eye to upping the ante, a 2009 Mustang Sports Coupe valued at $21,000 will be raffled off. Tickets are $25 but with only 2000 to be sold, the odds are good. See the website www.gentillyfest.org for more information.

The Gentilly Festival is New Orleans all the way from its laid-back atmosphere where folks come to greet old friends and neighbors, eat great food, sit and relax or dance to the music that has made this city famous.

Algiers African Heritage Festival

Drums, Mardi Gras Indians, gospel, jazz, neo-soul and Caribbean music are all featured at the Algiers African Heritage Celebration presented in the Village on the Mississippi side of the levee  in Algiers Point. (It's located  just to the left when you get off of the ferry at the site with the little buildings.) On Saturday at noon the Ashe Cultural Center's Drum Circle sets the tone of the two-day affair, Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, with the rhythms continuing with a performance by the Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indian gang's Third Chief. The spiritual element is picked up with the voices of the O. Perry Walker Choir. On Sunday the high school is again represented, this time by its jazz ensemble. An island sway closes out Saturday with Ruby's Caribbean Funk Band.

Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers  headlines Sunday's schedule with the always amiable trumpeter and vocalist on stage at 3 p.m. just after a performance by the Zulu Gospel Ensemble. The free festival concludes much as it began with the sounds of drums and dance by the river.

Jon Cleary – Home Sweet Home

In the lineage of those who originated and/or perpetuated  New Orleans style piano playing there are greats like Tuts Washington, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Davell Crawford and then there is Jon Cleary. Unlike the rest, he's not from the city nor even from this country – he was born in England. Through listening, studying, absorbing and loving the style, Cleary got it – has it. A resident of New Orleans for over two decades, the pianist/vocalist gained recognition as the leader of the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, as a soloist and for his work with noted national artists including Bonnie Raitt (10 years) and Taj Mahal (3 years). His good fortune became somewhat of a loss for his New Orleans' fans as he was often on the road. His travels became particularly heavy in this past year as he toured with guitar legend John Scofield and the New Orleans and gospel inspired Piety Street Band with whom the pianist recorded. In just two weeks, Cleary  traveled to Israel, Switzerland, Los Angeles, Tokyo and China. Now he's taking some time off the road.

“It's lovely being home in New Orleans at such a beautiful time of the year,” says Cleary who will be playing at d.b.a. on Thursday nights through October with his new trio with drummer Doug Belote and either bassist James Singleton or Matt Perrine. “I can be like a sponge and just soak it up and be creative, play my piano and write.”

The scaled-down format of a trio is definitely a departure for Cleary from fronting the Absolute Monster Gentlemen or playing with Scofield or other leaders. It gives him a lot of freedom plus he'll be the only vocalist on the bandstand. He might even bring out his guitar, which was actually his first instrument. He calls it his “secret weapon.” At some point, Cleary intends to record the trio.

“The idea was to work on songs and then have a regular weekly gig at a little barroom where we could try some of them out on the general public to see if it works,” says Cleary of the gig. Classic New Orleans R&B that Cleary is noted for will continue to be the mainstay of the repertoire mixed with some Caribbean flavors and new material from his prolific pen. “With the instrumentation I'm using and the way these guys play, I get a chance to flex some different musical muscles really.”

Cleary is a master of staying true yet reinventing the great works of the musicians and music he's admired his entire  his life. When he plays “Tipitina” he remembers Professor Longhair in the memorable melodic core of the tune and Fess' brilliant spirit of freedom and improvisation.

This article was originally published in the September 5, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper