Bob Geldof can hate Mondays all he wants; when it comes to the Jazz Fest season, we love Monday. When else can you choose between (or enjoy) two distinct all-star lineups flooded with musical talent, all on a Monday night? April 26 is a perfect example, offering both PIANO NIGHT and INSTRUMENTS A-COMIN'. PIANO NIGHT, that venerable warhorse now in its 16th year, showcases the key-plunking talents of the city's best pianists, with popular visitors (most of whom are in town for Jazz Fest) also popping up onstage to do their thing for WWOZ (90.7 FM). As you can imagine, it's a who's-who type affair, with just about every pianist of merit on the schedule. But it's also an opportunity to honor one in particular, and this year pays homage to one of New Orleans' semi-adopted musicians, "Long Tall" Marcia Ball. The Austin, Texas, native has long referenced New Orleans R&B traditions into her work and has been a crowd favorite for years. Once the domain of Tipitina's, Piano Night is now held at Generations Hall (310 Andrew Higgins Drive). Tickets are $30 general admission, $50 balcony seating. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the show runs from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.; call 889-6579 for tickets. (Visit www.wwoz.org for the complete lineup info.) Piano Night's exodus from Tipitina's quickly turned into a blessing, when the notion to benefit another worthy cultural institution -- the school system's many talented high school marching bands -- slipped into that Monday night slot. One of the great incubators of local musical talent, local schools struggle to provide students with the proper tools for success, hence the annual Instruments A Comin' benefit, sponsored by the newly formed Tipitina's Foundation, the nonprofit wing of Tipitina's (501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS). Each year, the benefit has targeted two schools' marching bands, with the goal of providing $20,000 in aid for new instruments. This year, the foundation has upped the ante to three schools: John Kennedy Senior High School, John McDonough Senior High School and Robert Mills Lusher Extension Music Programs. Corporate partner Whitney Bank has also signed on to provide matching funds. The musical lineup is nothing short of fierce: Galactic (pictured), Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ivan Neville's Dumpsta Funk, ReBirth Brass Band, Cyril Neville & the Uptown Rulers, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Bruce Daigrepont, and more. The outside cultural fair also comes with music: The Stooges and Hot 8 brass bands, Big Chief Clarence Dalcour & the Creole Osceolas, and Big Chief Peppy & the Golden Arrows. Everyone will be on hand for the induction of ReBirth and Daigrepont -- two of Tipitina's most popular performers -- into the club's Walk of Fame. Food by Dunbar's Creole Cooking will be on sale, and guests can check out photo exhibits by Zack Smith and Bob Compton. Tickets $23. Fair starts at 5 p.m., music indoors at 6 p.m. and Walk of Fame induction ceremony at 8 p.m. -- David Lee Simmons

Festival International de Louisiane Wednesday-Sunday, April 21-25 Downtown Lafayette, (337) 232-8086 Call it a kinder, gentler and (perhaps more accurately) inexpensive Jazz Fest. But, as its name implies, it's also an even more international festival. Comparing the two events has become an apples-and-oranges proposition, but here's to the unique charm of Festival International, a free event in downtown Lafayette (a town with its own unique charm). Artists from around the globe descend on the city, with several artists killing two birds with one stone by performing at both Festival International and Jazz Fest. This year, for instance, will feature double-dippers Lucky Dube, Corey Harris, Pride of Zulu, and Leo Nocentelli. But Festival International also features some intriguing world artists not appearing at Jazz Fest, including Baaba Maal of Senegal and Djapana of Martinique (among many others). For the complete schedule, visit www.festivalinternational.com. -- Simmons

Whirling Dervishes of Rumi 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 21 Mahalia Jackson Theater of Performing Arts, Armstrong Park, 565-7470 The ancient wisdom and spirituality of 12th century Turkish poet Mawlana Jalaladdeen Rumi, or Rumi for short, has gained increased notice and respect in the United States in recent years. The documentary The Poet of the Heart featured the works of Rumi and aired several times on PBS, and actors such as Goldie Hawn and Martin Sheen have performed his works. Embodying the Rumi notion that 'ours is not a caravan of despair,' a group of businessmen in 1995 in Konya, Turkey, (where Rumi spent most of his life and where his tomb and the spiritual center surrounding it are visited by tens of thousands annually) formed the Whirling Dervishes group and have now built global tours upon initial small successes. Dressed in traditional garb consisting of flowing white dress, the dancers turn on their own axis, orbiting in effortless fashion as they chant to their rhythm. Tickets $15 to $50. Visit www.whirlingdervishes.org for more info. -- Frank Etheridge

Houseman's Lounge 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 21 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Get a jump on Jazz Fest at Houseman's Lounge, a free-for-all starring Galactic's Theryl 'Houseman' DeClouet backed by an all-star band featuring Ivan Neville on keyboards, June Yamagishi on guitar and Thadeus Richard on saxophone, plus a host of special guests. Houseman takes the spotlight for a blistering set of funk and old school R&B, which will include material from his forthcoming album, and you never know who might show up to jam with him. Opening is Sherman, who'll also be backed by Ivan Neville on keyboards along with Aaron Comess from the Spin Doctors on drums, guitarist Anthony Krizan from the Phish tribute group Amfibian and John Conte on bass. This is the third renewal of the event; last year Stephen Stills showed up and played Neil Young's 'Rockin' in the Free World' with Sherman, then returned with Houseman's band for a rendition of one of his own tunes that has become a New Orleans staple, 'Love the One You're With.' Admission $10. -- John Swenson

Third Annual Party For Patti 10 p.m. Thursday, April 22 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF Basin Street Records is releasing six new albums this week, just in time for Jazz Fest. With an artist roster that ranges from jazz band Los Hombres Calientes and its offshoots to funk keyboardist Jon Cleary and roots rocker Theresa Andersson, the 'little label that could' is still pumping out product from New Orleans. Thursday marks the label's third annual tribute to its co-founder, Patti Samuels. The late wife of label head Mark Samuels, Patti's work was crucial to the label's 1997 launch, and her work in the community gave rise to the New Orleans Jewish Day School. This year's tribute features a good cross-section of Basin Street artists and guest sit-ins. Andersson's band will play with special guest Dave Malone, piano wizard Henry Butler and bluesman Corey Harris will team up, and the Dr. Michael White Band will appear. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Young Leadership Council. Tickets $15-$17. -- Cristina Diettinger

Squarepusher Midnight Thursday, April 22 The Parish at the House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Electronic music innovator Squarepusher began his career as a drum 'n' bass composer known for fire beats. Then with 1997's Music Is Rotted One Note (Warp/Nothing/Interscope), he displayed unsuspected versatility by dropping the hard, beat-driven songs and producing an electronic post-rock masterpiece highly influenced by the late-70s electric-jazz of Miles Davis. Most of his work since, including his latest album Ultravisitor (Warp), has combined the two sounds he has developed, melding live instrumentation with carefully crafted, pre-programmed electronics. In previous shows on this tour, Squarepusher has played improv bass guitar over his laptop concoctions and used two massive strobe lights to set the mood. Guest appearances have also been a staple of this tour, so look forward to a unique Squarepusher experience. Tickets $15. -- Rob Bryant

Ben Kweller 9 p.m. Friday, April 23 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF Ben Kweller called himself the 'King of ADD' while blowing through the festival circuit last summer, finding enough focus to marry his longtime girlfriend and record his second solo album by the year's end. Eerily mature as a teenager fronting Dallas, Texas, band Radish, Kweller is that much better in his early twenties. Continuing on the introspective path that made his 2001 debut Sha Sha (Wea) so raw and clever, Kweller happily tears through historic rock territory on On My Way, out this month. His melodies reek of Lennon and McCartney, his instrumental intensity rivals that of the Clash, and his vocal lilt is palpably Dylanesque. Urgent verses find his falsetto cracking poignantly until he rocks out his young-adult angst in scorching choruses. But Kweller's mellowest moments are his most brilliant. Maternal appeal meets acoustic guitar strumming on the title track, where he laments the inner wars of love and crime. Death Cab for Cutie and Pedro the Lion are also on the bill. Tickets $17. -- Diettinger

Peaches 2 a.m. Saturday-Sunday, April 24-25 The Parish at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Only Peaches could get away with an album titled Fatherf--ker, with the funky punky queen gracing the cover of the CD with a carny-like beard and some of the worst false eyelashes this side of '80s-era Times Square. 'I'm the kinda bitch you wanna get with,' Peaches taunts on 'I'm the Kinda,' chanting, 'Knocking you out like Rocky Balboa.' And despite the wildly schizophrenic nature of this follow-up to 2002's jaw-dropping The Teaches of Peaches, she's right. Peaches' sexuality is all over the map, making Pink blush and Madonna wince, but one can't help wondering if somewhere there's a tongue in cheek, as well as other places. The punk digressions are more humorous than worthy, particularly the recruitment of Iggy Pop (who can't be that busy these days) to join in on 'Kick It.' Peaches had to cancel her previous appearance here due to a hurricane, about the only thing that could stop her. Tickets $12. -- Simmons

"The Voyage of the Black Madonna" 5 p.m. Sunday, April 25 Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave., 670-2520 The multi-talented Alessandra Belloni doubles the pleasure of local lovers of traditional southern Italian music this week. In addition to her Jazz Fest gig, the vocalist, tambourine virtuoso, dancer and actress performs 'The Voyage of the Black Madonna,' which features excerpts from her original folk opera written in 1990 and inspired by the healing chants and drumming in honor of the Black Madonna that occurs in southern Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Brazil and Mexico. This concert, which earned acclaim at the 2002 Los Angeles Sacred Music Festival, is a collaboration with the visionary of the Trinity Artist Series, organist Albinas Prizgintas, and features the rare combination of organ arrangements and ritual chants of southern Italy, where devotion to the Black Madonna is strong. Free admission. -- Etheridge

Lazy Lester and Li'l Buck Sinegal 11 p.m. Monday, April 26 Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles Ave., 588-2616 Harmonica man Lazy Lester's laconic style graced many of the swamp blues hits on the legendary Excello label out of Crowley in the 1950s and '60s. That's his playing on records by mystical figures such as Lightnin' Slim and Rocket Morgan. His 'I'm a Lover, Not a Fighter' and 'You're Going to Ruin Me, Baby' even made some noise on the charts. His bandmate, guitarist Li'l Buck Sinegal, spent years playing with kings of zydeco Clifton Chenier and Rockin' Dopsie. After years of traveling with these giants and playing his own music, Sinegal was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame in 1999. Together, these two should have more greasy blues and lowdown Louisiana rock 'n' roll than anything Jazz Fest has put on so far. This show is also a great warmup for the Ponderosa Stomp Extravaganza on Tuesday and Wednesday. $10 cover. -- David Kunian

New Orleans Helsinki Connection CD-release Party 11:30 p.m. Monday, April 24 , Noon Tuesday, April 27 Donna's Bar & Grill, 800 N. Rampart St., 596-6914 Finland is the land of the midnight sun and the country that holds some of the hippest jazz festivals, where the bands play all day and the sun never goes down. The New Orleans Helsinki connection brings that spirit to Donna's and a Louisiana Music Factory in-store event this week, celebrating the band's debut CD, At Last. The album mixes New Orleans delicacies like 'Shake It and Break It' with jazz standards such as 'Them There Eyes' and originals such as 'The Sea Horse.' The New Orleans side of the equation is supplied by Finn faves Leroy Jones and 'Sista Teedy' Tricia Boutte on vocals, both of whom are on the album. Jones also plays trumpet and flugelhorn on the set. Katja Toivola plays trombone, Todd Duke is on guitar, Paul Longstreth plays piano, Ozaki Nobumasa is on bass and Thomas Rönnholm on drums. Call club for cover. -- Swenson

A Tuff Shuffle -- Backstage With Louis Armstrong 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 23-24, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 25; through May 16 UNO Downtown Theatre, 619 Carondelet St., 288-8333 Voices in the Dark Theatre Company offers a different look at the intangible connection between New Orleans life and jazz with a unique take on the art, persona and influence of Louis Armstrong. The setting features a 70-year-old Armstrong in his dressing room after a performance, a regular ritual in which Armstrong would hold court for what guitarist Danny Barker once described as 'the most varied entourage in show business.' But this particular night comes near the end of Armstrong's career, and he at first appears weary from the show and a recent heart attack. Yet, as he shares his life story and begins to feel his music, he gathers strength and readies himself to carry on. Script writer Danny Walter Mullen stars as Armstrong, under the direction of Tommye Myrick. Local jazz diva Charmaine Neville performs on opening night Friday. Tickets $25 cabaret seating, $18.50 orchestra and $12.50 general. -- Etheridge

From Louis XIV to Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Tapestry Through Oct. 9 Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., 523-4662 Were New Orleans' Louis Armstrong and France's Louis XIV soul mates? Well, maybe not in the usual sense, but they did have one thing in common, and that was Louisiana, the cultural history of which has been distilled into a major show named for both of them. Just back from a 10-week run at the Mona Bismark Foundation in Paris, where attendance reached more than 1,200 visitors a day, From Louis XIV to Louis Armstrong spotlights themes ranging from the founding of New Orleans to the evolution of the visual arts and jazz in this area. In fact, an entire section is devoted to key figures such as Armstrong, Bunk Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton and Mahalia Jackson, among others. It's a show that, according to Le Figaro, "perfectly illustrates New Orleans as a melting pot of culture." -- D. Eric Bookhardt