5 shows you need to see at Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival

With 150 different performances, there's no way you can see everything at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, happening from Tuesday through Sunday in Fredericton.

With all the different tents and stages, it takes careful playing to catch your favourites, and even then, you may have to make some tough choices, and miss one hot group to see another.

At each one of the festival's 26 years, there are have been must-see shows. While there are always surprise acts that turn out amazing as well, here's a list of five that should be great and have a good shot at being the water-cooler events of Harvest 2016.

1. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real

For the past year, this group has had a pretty sweet gig, running around the world as Neil Young's band, and making his most recent albums with him, The Monsanto Years and the recent live one, Earth.

Lukas is used to being around Neil though, as he's the son of Willie Nelson, and has picked up some strong influences there as well.

Add in some of his love of Jimi Hendrix, and that's a potent mix. Harvest is getting the group mere days before they head back out on a fall tour with Young, starting with this weekend's annual Farm Aid concert.

Catch them Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. in the Moose Light Blues Tent.

2. Classified & David Myles

Oh sure, David Myles plays almost every Harvest, but hometown is always a special show, plus he's recording a new album right now, so we may get some of those tracks.

But even more wonderful is that this is joint show with his buddy, Halifax hip-hop star Classified. You remember when they made the top-selling Canadian hip-hop single of all time, Inner Ninja in 2013, that won them a Juno? 

These two have worked together a lot since, but rarely perform live on stage, so this is a coup.

Plus, the opening acts are tremendous East Coast talents as well, Ria Mae (Clothes Off) and Erin Costelo, whose latest album Down Below The Status Quo is one of the best Canadian soul albums ever.

That show is Thursday in the TD Mojo Tent at 7 p.m.

3. Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Celebration

Really, Harvest? At virtually the same time as Myles and Classified, we have to choose between that and this tribute to the beloved Levon?

Anyone who attended the late Band drummer's Harvest show in 2011 will remember that love-in, plus the amazing group of musicians who formed his road group in those days.

Well, they are all coming back, including the tremendous band leader Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello), plus Levon's daughter Amy, who couldn't make it last time because she was about to give birth.

Also joining will be Amy's friend, one Matt Andersen, and our local boy will also be the opening act, with crack band the Bona Fide.

That show is Thursday in the Moose Light Blues Tent at 7:30 p.m.

4. Robert Cray

He still seems like the new kid on the block, but it's been 30 years now since his breakthrough album Strong Persuader put blues music back in the Top 20.

Along the way, Cray has also helped bring back the Southern soul sound, with a run of Stax-flavoured albums.

He just exudes top quality, as a guitar hero, passionate singer, and high-quality modern writer.

Quietly, he's won five Grammy Awards and bundles of W.C. Handy trophies, and must now be regarded as one of the blues greats of the modern era.

His show is Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in the Moose Light Blues Tent

5. Drive-By Truckers

Southern rock used to be all about the boogie, but these Southerners have thrown out that cliche, with soul, brains and great empathy.

Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and company tell important tales of just plain folk, struggling with the same kind of trials and tribulations we all know, life as equal parts nonsense and magic.

There's an epic quality to their songs and live shows, a bit of Southern Springsteen sensibility. This is the one where lots of people could wind up knowing they have a new favourite band.

They'll be playing Saturday in the Moose Light Blues Tent at 8:30 p.m.