Jazz Fest has lost a few of the out of town artists, first Common, who was replaced by Musiq Soulchild on the Congo Square Stage . Yesterday we learned that Jakob Dylan has also had to withdraw. The Gentilly Stage lineup for Thursday was shuffled so that the subdudes and Theresa Andersson moved  to later time slots and Jeff and Vida were added at 12:45.

For the most current schedule, go to the Jazz Fest Web site.

               

In case you missed it, here’s Theresa Andersson’s appearance from last night. She’s in the last 10 minutes, and I skipped to her, stopping only for a pretty funny Patton Oswalt segment.

               

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times’ Ann Powers wrote an interesting take on Theresa Andersson, looping and notions of virtuosity:

During recent performance at the Hotel Café, Andersson introduced one song by trotting out her “backup singers” — each one a loop of her voice, with a distinct personality and a tendency to sass back to the others. On another, she featured a sample from New Orleans drummer Smokey Johnson, who appeared onstage virtually, in a portrait on the cover of the album that provided the sample.

These whimsical asides made Andersson’s skills seem like no big deal: the casual mastery of someone who cut her teeth as a street performer and still knows that entertaining the crowd is the first priority. But as she dives deeper into each song, her dexterity makes a deep impression.

It does feel a bit like magic. But practical magic -– the kind women have been known to practice for centuries, long before guitar gods walked the Earth.  

And at RollingStone.com, Friday’s “Hype Monitor” had a short note on Hurray for the Riff Raff:

The Buzz: Sweet, tender folk music built from brittle banjos and boasting lovely, loping melodies.
Listen If: You’re looking for the female-fronted counterpart to the Strand of Oaks record we listed above.
Key Track: “Daniella,” which continues the grand tradition of songs that question their subject’s taste in suitors.

               

At the Los Angeles Times, critic Ann Powers identified Theresa Andersson as one of the artists to watch in 2009:

Her songs are heartfelt and dusky little fables representing a strong feminine viewpoint — and yes, they’ve been featured on “Grey’s Anatomy.” But Andersson is more than the sum of her parts. Her quirkiness and fearless eye for detail stand out.

               

A few weeks back, Theresa Andersson texted me to say David Byrne had heard her album and asked her to sing on his new album. At the time, I sat on this because I didn’t want to hype something that hadn’t happened yet for fear of jinxing things before the recordings had happened. Today, Jason Songe confirmed that she recently flew to New York City to cut a vocal for a song called “Here Lies Love.” More about the track and the album’s release when we know more.