Jubilee Jam starts this Friday

Jubilee Jam, Jackson's annual weekend summer music and arts festival, gets underway Friday and ends Saturday night. Three main stages are featured this year, giving us the usual happy problem of deciding which artists to see perform and which to regretfully miss. Many top-notch blues and rock artists are performing this year.

We were saddend by the sudden death of blues diva Koko Taylor, scheduled to appear Saturday. But catching Koko's torch to hold it high: Eddie Cotton Jr. of Clinton, Mississippi. Eddie is a world class bluesman well known to Jacksonians for his high-energy shows. As usual, Eddie always finds new ways to boost every performance; Saturday night Eddie performs a special tribute to Koko Taylor featuring Keisha Pratt.

Friday's opening acts include Shamarr Allen of the Rebirth Brass Band. Though known as a trumpeter, Shamarr's lineup is a horn-driven rock act and figures to be a blistering reconfiguration of the funky New Orleans sound. Then comes a choice: remain at the stage to see Cyril Neville & Tribe 13 with more New Orleans music, or walk away to catch the critically acclaimed Americana sounds of DADDY? Cyril is a veteran of the New Orleans music scene, best recognized as a member of the famous Neville Brothers. DADDY features Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack, fusing blues, country and hard rock into the two guitarists' songs while backed by some of the best session players in the world. It's a rare opportunity for Jacksonians as Kimbrough and Womack are constantly busy with other projects.

JJ Grey & Mofro play at 8:45. Another artist who draws upon many musical frameworks, JJ Grey hails from near Jacksonville, FL. Anyone who releases a CD titled "Country Ghetto" piques interest. With the always interesting Guster closing the night at 10PM, that's the stage for 90s rock still surging. Those who saw Sammy Hagar downtown in 1997 remember Guster as one of Sammy's opening acts. Guster is a go-against-the-grain rock band who dug in and soldiered on, rewarded with renewed interest in their music. It feels so good hearing Guster on the radio again.

Saturday is an easy choice: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts! Joan's energy and dedication to rock and roll never wanes. A friend said last year "Joan was meant to rock." As Joan's set ends, decide between Eddie Cotton Jr. or rockers Tantric at another stage. At 10PM, former Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts & Great Southern blast southern rock, always filled with blues.

Jackson's international rap star/community activist David Banner closes out Saturday night . Thus ends a weekend of local and national performers- not to mention the activites for kids, lots of southern food and drink and literally dancing in the streets of Jackson.