Leading off the procession with sass and brass, Dick and Jane's Big Brass Band belted out contemporary renditions of New Orleans grooves, from Professor Long Hair to Basin Street and beyond. "St Thomas" got the full horn treatment as did Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man." And I never realized the tuba had so many notes!

One of the biggest draws of the afternoon was 77-year-old keyboard legend James "Cornbread" Harris, a fixture on the Twin Cities R & B and blues scene since the 1940s. Adding his growling vocals to such classics as "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Little Red Top," Harris led his band through a bluesy romp, demonstrating a wicked stride and plenty of stamina. Festival Mistress of Ceremonies (and Moore By Four songbird) Yolanda Bruce joined in on "Things Ain't What They Used to Be." And things would not have been complete without the tune that earned him his nickname, "Cornbread."

Following a legend proved not so intimidating for the youngest band of the day, St. Paul Central High School's Jazz Ensemble, a sextet of future jazz stars who already have plenty of chops. Saluting the likes of Charlie Parker and Wayne Shorter, these young men burned brightly throughout the set, which included an original tune by trumpeter Ty Green and a swinging closing rendition of "Nostalgia in Time Square."