The words free

and concert may be the two sweetest words in the world when placed together.

Fans of free

concerts can head to Piedmont Park in Atlanta this weekend for the 14th

annual Montreux Atlanta music festival, which will feature blues acts

as well as rap, rhythm and blues artists, rock bands and more.

The concerts

will be presented from 2-10 p.m. daily.

Saturday starts

with performances by Cooper Tisdale at 2 p.m., World Mambo Mission at

3 p.m., Divinity at 4 p.m. and Pocket Dwellers at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m. the

rap portion of the show begins with The Pharcyde and their experimental

and humorous brand of hip-hop. They will be followed by rap legends Slick

Rick and Doug E. Fresh at 7:30 p.m. The two artists got their big break

in 1985 when they recorded a double-sided single featuring "The Show"

on one side and "La-Di-Da-Di" on the other. Slick Rick's new

album features many of rap's current big names, including Big Boi from

Outkast, Nas and Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan.

The closing

act for Saturday night has yet to be announced.

Sunday's lineup

is as follows: Black Perl at 2 p.m., Beale Street at 3 p.m., Christophe

Fellay at 4 p.m., Henry Elsesser at 5 p.m., Big Sky at 6 p.m., Baaba Maal

at 7:30 p.m. and The Robert Cray band at 9 p.m. The Robert Cray Band is

a legendary blues act that has a legion of fans that has grown for years.

Sunday's lineup is full of a mix of blues, jazz, zydeco and reggae.

Monday begins

with Nick Savage Band at 2 p.m., Orchestra Lyrica at 3 p.m., Fair Verona

at 4 p.m. and Cowboy Junkies at 5 p.m. Cowboy Junkies has been a popular

band on college radio since the mid-'80s, when it released "The Trinity

Session," which featured several original songs and haunting covers

of Patsy Cline, Lou Reed and Waylon Jennings. The band attained mainstream

success in 1996 with the song "A Common Disaster." Its current

album is called "Open."

Following Cowboy

Junkies are local favorites Mandorico at 6:30 p.m. and Celia Cruz at 7:30

p.m. Cruz is considered the queen of Latin music. She started her career

in Havana in 1950 with the band Sonora Matancera. Since then she has traveled

the world playing salsa music. She released her first album in 1967 and

has recorded more than 50 albums since, 20 of them going Gold. Her music

has brought her fame and success, as well as doctorates from both Yale

University and the University of Miami, a Hollywood star, a Grammy, and

a statue in the Hollywood Wax Museum.

Also included

in the weekend's events are The Isley Brothers at Chastain Park Amphitheater

with opening act Carl Thomas. That show is not free, though, and tickets

can be purchased through Ticketmaster. For information call 404-817-6851

or visit www.atlantafestivals.com .

Back

to the Top of the Page