Shadowing Sunpie at Sunday’s Jazz Fest

The Jazz Fest spotlight was on one Bruce Sunday, but another Bruce was working the crowds just as hard.

While Springsteen drew headlines at the Acura Stage, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes was elsewhere at the Fair Grounds, doing what so many New Orleans musicians do so well: moving from set to set to unleash his multiple talents in multiple appearances with an array of equally polished local performers.

Sunday’s trio of appearances by Sunpie marked his 21st time at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. His fans know him for charismatic performances that include a blues harmonica, washboard and zydeco accordion.

Sunday’s Sunpie highlight was an international accordion summit on the Fais Do-Do Stage with Frenchman Fixi, zydeco’s Steve Riley and Klezmer All-Star Glenn Hartman. But the veteran musician was busy throughout the day, and photographer Jason Kruppa was there to document his full schedule.

Kruppa, whose works can be seen at kruppaworks.com, shadowed Sunpie from morning to evening, and, along the way, captured this gallery of artful shots that catalogue a day in the life of an established Jazz Fest musician.