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Decisions, decisions. The last weekend of April brings a wealth of exciting music to south Louisiana for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Baton Rouge Blues Week and Lafayette’s Festival International de Louisiane. This year, more than a dozen musical performances worth the price of admission—and gas money—are plugging in around Baton Rouge and an hour in either direction.

Jazz Fest is slated for April 28-30, and May 5-7. Check NOJazzFest.com for a detailed listing. Or take our advice and see, on opening weekend, the jazz virtuosos of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, British rocker Elvis Costello, the hip-shaking funk of Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the down-and-dirty New Orleans feel of James “Satchmo of the Ghetto” Andrews. If you return for the second weekend, be sure to check out Cuban piano and rhythm master Eddie Palmieri, who will play as a special guest of Donald Harrison; don’t miss the irresistible jazz of a Fest sure thing, Astral Project; for some good homegrown stuff, check out Roland Guerin’s lovingly composed jazz; and sop up the original music of Baton Rouge-born John Gros of Papa Grows Funk. Feel more like dancing? Also on the second weekend, check out the next generation of Lafayette musicians La Bande Feufollet, or take the kids to hear Imagination Movers, Louisiana’s answer to the Wiggles and featuring Baton Rouge native Dave Poche’.

If you’re heading to Festival International for a more exotic experience, the Southern Comfort Scene Fais Do Do stage on Saturday, April 29 may be your best bet. Vintage country band The Wilders bring that ol’-time religion at 3:30 p.m. African dummers Ballet Ngalam de Senegal lay it down right at 5:15 p.m. And Afro-Latin singer Maria de Barros brings the evening to a soulful conclusion.

If you can get out of town on a weeknight, New Orleans R&B legends Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint perform sets at the Popeyes Scene International stage on Thursday, April 27 beginning at 7:45 p.m. Visit this link for more information.