The Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center (1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 525-2767) has always promised "something for and against everyone," and its third biannual Creative Music Festival (Friday, April 26, through Sunday, May 5) is no exception. The event began last spring as a fringe festival for the legions of worthy local artists who are denied slots at Jazz Fest, and the event quickly took on a life of its own; it's expanded to include regional and national acts that enhance its affirmative and rebellious spirit. With an enormous, air-conditioned, non-smoking facility and a program packed with the edgy and the avant garde, Zeitgeist is the antithesis of what goes on at the Fair Grounds. Every one of Zeitgeist's acts promises a distinct mind-expanding experience. Non-traditional formatting and stylistically varied billing forces patrons to look at music performance in new ways. The festival opens with an improv-heavy set from 3 Now 4, a structure-shunning jazz combo led by Astral Project bassist James Singleton and pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley. The first night ends with "Children of the Sun," Zeitgeist's second annual tribute to visionary jazz composer Sun Ra, with members of his famous "Arkestra" and a select group of like-minded local musicians. The next night, reedsman Rob Wagner takes the conventional jazz band format to the next level with his New Thing, offering two trios in one. Later on in the festival's run, the members of all-bass trio Contra Contra Bass might play their instruments inside their cases. The Ear Floss Ensemble tugs at the tympanic membrane with three flutes in counterpoint. New York rapper Lu Quantum Leap will drop some rhymes. And trumpeter Michael Ray (pictured) will take listeners straight to outer space with his Sun Ra-meets-P-Funk Cosmic Krewe. Nothing is too far out for this festival. Even alternative media makes its way into the Zeitgeist mix, with documentary film, art, poetry and pyrotechnics. The festival closes with a rare performance by Jonathan Freilich's Naked Orchestra. This boundary-breaking big band of 20 of New Orleans' most gifted musicians is a centralized hub for the local creative music scene. Check listings for schedule and showtimes. $10 minimum donation per night. Festival Gold passes available for $75 ($125 per couple), available in advance by calling 525-2767. -- Cristina Diettinger

Donnie Darko 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 Prytania Theatre, 5339 Prytania St., 891-2797 Called by one critic "a John Hughes teen movie tinged with David Lynch-ian gloom and perversity," writer-director Richard Kelly's debut, Donnie Darko, indeed seems to be a clash of cinematic genres and sensibilities. Set at the tail end of Hughes' favorite decade, the film explores everything from teen angst in suburbia to science fiction for what at a distance gives off a you've-got-chocolate-in-my-peanut-butter glow. Regretfully, it never made it here, until now; the New Orleans Film Festival's (NOFF) ongoing indie-film series draws Donnie into the darkened house of the Prytania. Stars Jake Gyllenhaal with supporting help from executive producer Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle and Katharine Ross. Admission $6 NOFF members, $7 general public. -- David Lee Simmons

Dirty Dozen Brass Band Thursday, April 25, through Sunday, May 5 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St., 524-4747 The Dirty Dozen Brass Band starts an 11-day residency at the Mermaid Lounge on Thursday. The late-night club scene is in overdrive during Jazz Fest, with great music going on all night, every night. This year's ground zero is the Dirty Dozen's 11-night residency at the Mermaid Lounge. Whooping crowds will party it up past midnight while these undisputed masters of hard-funking brass party music rock the club. With a full funk band on board to back their monstrous brass power, the Dozen will play intense sets of gems from their massive repertoire, including reworked New Orleans favorites from their latest album, Medicated Magic. New York jazz turntablist DJ Logic will join in for nine of the 11 nights to scratch over the band's rock-solid grooves and spin big, fat dance beats till dawn. Afroskull opens on Thursday, April 25. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey opens on Friday, May 3. Check listings for exact showtimes. Tickets $12. -- Diettinger

Party for Patti: A Tribute to Patti Samuels 9 p.m. Thursday, April 25 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF Henry Butler brings his piano-playing blues and jazz to the Patty Samuels tribute on Thursday, and Piano Night on Monday at Generations Hall. Basin Street Records founder Mark Samuels thinks everyone should try to live life like his late wife, Patti, did. A founder of the New Orleans Jewish Day School and co-owner of Basin Street Records, Patti Samuels was a stellar parent and community figure, and her work was instrumental in Basin Street's launch. The New Orleans jazz, brass and funk label has expanded its artist roster threefold since its start in 1997, and three big Basin Street headliners lead this celebration of Patti's life and memory: world-jazz supergroup Los Hombres Calientes, perennial swing favorite Kermit Ruffins, and piano genius Henry Butler. Special guests are also on the menu, including Basin Street clarinetist Dr. Michael White sitting in with Ruffins and drummer Jason Marsalis making an appearance. Mark Samuels expects many more special guests to show up and pay tribute. Ten percent of the proceeds will benefit the New Orleans Musicians' clinic. Admission $10. -- Diettinger

Jazz Fest Grandstand Video Gallery Friday-Sunday, April 26-28 Grandstand Video Gallery, Third Floor, Fair Grounds Every year, we laud the cool-breeze alternative of the Grandstand fare at Jazz Fest, with its interviews, specialty performances, exhibits and such, but have we ever spotlighted the film offerings? This year, Jazz Fest honors its Native American theme in film as well as in song, with several interesting works being presented along with other local works. Two of note are Robert Mirabal: Music From a Painted Cave, featuring the composer, flutist and drummer, and Making a Noise, a Native American Musical Journey With Robbie Robertson, hosted by the former guitarist of The Band. Next week, the New Orleans Museum of Art takes these films and tosses in some more Native American-themed material for a special tribute in its auditorium (stay tuned). Free admission with Jazz Fest entry. -- Simmons

11th annual Jazz Fest Shabbat 6 p.m. Friday, April 26 Touro Synagogue, 4238 St. Charles Ave., 895-4843 For 10 years running, Touro Synagogue has been an initial Jazz Fest destination for locals and visitors alike. Each year, more than 700 enthusiasts from all faiths partake of its combined celebration of worship and music. This year, Rabbi David Goldstein leads the religious service, and Cantor Seth Butler directs musical guests Panorama Jazz Band and pianist Henry Butler. Formed by clarinetist Ben Shenck, Panorama blends Caribbean beguines and Eastern European folk into its repertoire, in addition to traditional Jewish klezmer. The widely respected Butler shows off his prowess for the jazz keyboard, and the synagogue's own Youth and Adult choirs will perform (and also provide the desserts!). Attendees, who've been known to dance in the aisles, are invited to finish off the evening with an Oneg (meaning "pleasure") Shabbat featuring coffee and desserts. Admission for 6 p.m. patron dinner ranges from $50 to $500 (reservations required); free admission to 8 p.m. service. -- Jennifer Curren

Dinah Was ... 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 26-27; 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through May 26 Southern Repertory Theatre, Canal Place, Third Floor, 333 Canal St., 522-6545 In the coming weeks, the best education you receive on the sound and style of a musical luminary won't just go down at the Fair Grounds. Such poignant insight will also be available at Southern Rep, which will host a monthlong run of the Louisiana debut of the off-Broadway musical Dinah Was ... . Detailing the life story of legendary jazz and blues singer Dinah Washington, the production is part of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation's education efforts. Set in a series of flashbacks, Sandra Anderson Richards portrays Washington, who struggles for popular success after growing up singing in Chicago's churches. With Billie Holiday as a personal heroine, Washington befalls a similar fate with booze and pill abuse that led to a premature death at age 39. Tommye Myrick directs from Oliver Goldstick's script. Tickets $20-$25, with special cabaret tables available; call 522-6545 for reservations. -- Frank Etheridge

"A Tribute to Balanchine" 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 26-28 Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall, 865-3492 Thanks in part to a huge grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and funding from several other organizations, the Loyola Ballet is able to present this homage to one of the world's truly great choreographers, George Balanchine. Guest artist the Nashville Ballet, under the direction of Loyola alumnus Paul Vasterling, will perform two of Balanchine's "Allegro Brillante" (set to music by Tchaikovsky) and "Firebird," choreographed by Vasterling. The Loyola Ballet begins the program with "Through the Years," under the direction of Laura Zambrano. Nancy Reynolds, research director for the Balanchine Foundation, will present a public symposium on Balanchine's works at 2 p.m. Sunday at Nunemaker Auditorium. Tickets for the performances are $10 general admission, $5 students and Loyola community with ID. Symposium admission is free. For info, call 865-3492. -- Simmons

Mike Clark with George Porter Jr., June Yamagishi, and Donald Harrison Jr. 2 a.m. Friday, April 26 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF Jazz drummer Mike Clark made a permanent mark on music history as the regular drummer for Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, especially with his complex beats on the 1974 album Thrust. One of the most sampled groove-drummers in hip-hop circles, his influence reaches far beyond his Headhunters work. Clark is still active on the national jazz scene, and his 2000 album, Actual Proof, went over well with younger groove-jazz fans. So did his subsequent "Prescription Renewal" tour with Skerik, Charlie Hunter, Robert Walter, and DJ Logic. For this one-off performance, Clark pairs up with three local heavyweights: legendary bassist George Porter Jr., uber-funk guitarist June Yamagishi, and saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr. With the band divided equally between jazzmen and funksters, the output should fall somewhere in the middle, with grooves and transcendental solos going back to back. Harrison is likely to bridge the gap. The alto sax innovator has made a career out of infusing jazz with Latin, African and modern styles, while remaining true to his New Orleans roots. Admission $20. -- Diettinger

Jazz and Blues Chanteuse 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday, April 27, through Sunday, April 5 Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., 581-5812 Le Chat Noir's Jazz Fest music series features local female musicians every night, favoring cabaret-worthy jazz and blues songstresses with some serious instrumentalists to round it out. The series opens with the Pfister Sisters and their swinging big band. Comprised of vocalists Holley Bendtsen, Yvette Cuccia and Debbie Davis, the group is a tribute to the Boswell Sisters, the legendary group of New Orleans female jazz singers revered in the '20s and '30s for their unparalleled vocal gymnastics. Later in the week, Latin jazz harpist Patrice Fisher brings her band, Arpa, to the stage, and rising jazz saxophonist Rebecca Barry performs with an all-woman trio. Other performers include Cynthia Owen, Banu Gibson, Leigh "Little Queenie" Harris, Wanda Rouzan and Leah Chase. Call club for specific dates. Admission $10. -- Diettinger

Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Poncho Chavis and the Magic Sounds, George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners, ReBirth Brass Band 10 p.m. Saturday, April 28 Mid City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl, 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3133 This year at least, don't look for a Rock 'n' Bowl transformed into a zydeco boxing ring. The deaths of musical sparring partners Beau Jocque and Boozoo Chavis (and Boozoo's rubboard-wielding son, Charles) made for a sad couple years in Louisiana music. But the spirit embodied by Chavis and Beau Jocque lives on in Saturday's performers. Nathan Williams has few peers as a zydeco musician, songwriter and showman, and his Jazz Fest shows are popular with both local fans and his many adorers from across the country. He's sharing the bandstand with Poncho Chavis, who debuted his hidden talents last year in a tribute to his father, and in doing so revealed the raw, earthy accordion and vocal style that can only come by way of Dog Hill. (A multi-artist Boozoo tribute album is in the works; stay tuned.) George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners and the ReBirth Brass Band also perform. -- Michael Tisserand

Ozomatli 1:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF They come from Los Angeles, where their distinctive logo is spray-painted all over the streets, but if any out-of-town band can rock the late-night Jazz Fest scene, Ozomatli can. Boasting a brand-new Grammy for its latest release, Embrace the Chaos, the eight-piece Latino brass/salsa/funk/hip-hop band is one of the acts to beat this week. Like three bands in one, the rhythm-heavy combo features two percussionists, an MC, a funk band and a horn section. Together, they pump an ultra-energizing stew pot of organic urban grooves, spiked with activist lyrics championing the working class. At last year's late-night show at the Howlin' Wolf, MC Kanetic Source hung from the rafters, while the riled-up club jumped in sweaty unison past 5 a.m. And when Ozomatli leaves the stage, the show's not over. The band ends every gig with a second line to the floor, where they rhapsodize through familiar melodies atop entrancing tribal rhythms. New Deal opens. Tickets $22. -- Diettinger

Instruments A Comin' Benefit 5 p.m. Monday, April 29 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS In order to perpetuate the treasured New Orleans music tradition, local kids need horns to blow and drums to beat. That's why Tipitina's is holding its Instruments A Comin' benefit to help buy instruments for high school bands. The benefit is modeled after last year's Injuns A Comin' show, an effort to help preserve the Mardi Gras Indian tradition. This year's event will raise money to purchase instruments for the Joseph S. Clark and Booker T. Washington Senior High School bands. Members from those bands will help the Lil' Rascals and Hot 8 Brass Bands and the Golden Arrows Mardi Gras Indians kick off the day with an outdoor festival on Napoleon Avenue featuring soul food from Dunbar's. The onstage party starts at 6 p.m., when emcees David Kunian and Bill Taylor host an all-star show that will drag into the wee hours. Performers include Dr. John, Galactic, Cyril Neville, George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners, Anders Osborne, Tab Benoit, Monk Boudreaux, Davell Crawford, ReBirth Brass Band, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, and a jazz jam featuring Kermit Ruffins, Henry Butler, Steve Masakowski, Tony Dagradi, Roland Guerin and Terence Higgins. Donation $20. -- Diettinger

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 10 p.m. Monday, April 29 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 529-9653 Jon Spencer turned a few heads four years ago with the surprising electronic groove of Acme, but have no fear; the real Jon Spencer is here, careening and ripping through his white-boy angst on his brand-new release, Plastic Fang. And if before Acme Spencer was known for his raw, down-and-dirty blues-fueled rock -- to the point of annoyance, frankly -- Plastic Fang smoothes out some of the textures for a tight little package. It reeks of the Rolling Stones, partly because of producer Steve Jordan's work with Keith Richards and engineer/mixer Don Smith's collaborations with the band. Spencer unleashes his guitar reverbs and slide work, carried along by Judah Bauer's rhythm guitar and Russell Simins' drums for a funky, bass-free underpinning. And yes, the former Pussy Galore frontman employs his Elvis-impersonator vocals (there's that word annoying again) except for in the early going on the CD -- and the album is better for it. "She Said" does Richards proud. Quintron & Miss Pussycat open. Tickets $15 -- Simmons

WWOZ Piano Night 6 p.m. Monday, April 29 Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Drive, 363-6800 Right places, right times: Dr. John performs at the Patty Samuels tribute on Thursday at the Howlin' Wolf, Friday at Harrah's Casino, Saturday at Tipitina's, and Monday at the Instruments A Comin' Benefit (also at Tipitina's). It's only fitting that the town that birthed piano legends such as Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair and James Booker celebrates the tradition of superb New Orleans piano players. WWOZ's Piano Night has done that for 13 years running, and this year's show once again presents a dazzling roster of keyboard wizards. The 2002 Piano Night honors Crescent City R&B/funk master Eddie Bo; Bo will be feted by a roster of keyboard wizards that includes Henry Butler, Joe Krown, John Gros, Tom McDermott, David Torkanowsky, Peter Martin, Willie Metcalf, Ann Rabson, Michael Pellera and more. Besides the main-stage performances, a full complement of solo piano sets will take place in Generation Hall's front room. The house and backing band(s) include the cream of the crop of New Orleans' esteemed sidemen, including a number of Fats Domino alumni for Mitch Woods' set. Doors open at 5 p.m. $30 general admission tickets include free barbecue; $50 tickets include first-come, first-serve balcony seats and Creole buffet. -- Scott Jordan

James Denmark: Windows of the Soul, Series IV April 21 through May 11 Stella Jones Gallery, 201 St. Charles Ave., 568-9050 Jazz Fest is in the air, and that means music, food -- and posters. Posters are like hors d'oeuvres, instant gratification that can whet the appetite for more. And while second-line scenes come and go, James Denmark's Congo Square poster is intriguing enough to make us wonder: what else has this guy done? Fortunately, he also has a show up at Stella Jones, and what it tells us is that Denmark is an artist with a vision of his own. Originally influenced by Jacob Lawrence and the abstract expressionists, he has turned to collage over the years, using brightly colored paper, fabric and found objects to fashion vibrant, yet finely crafted images from African-American experience. Tight, bright and precise, they reflect Denmark's unique take on the colorful world that evolved from African and European ingredients simmered over centuries in the great American melting pot. -- D. Eric Bookhardt