Little Feat wrapped up the final night of Ottawa Bluesfest music and fun last night begging this question:

Do they know any songs less than 10 minutes long?

That's not saying the California-based outfit were musically lacking. If anything, they were one of the finest calibre of acts to set foot on Lebreton Flats, even so kind as to let bluesman Sherman Robertson -- who wowed the audience earlier in the day -- join them on a couple of numbers.

Much to the delight of the 18,430 watching the seminal, genre-defying septet cover every colour of the musical spectrum, from blues, Dixieland jazz, country, rock to neo-psychedelic jamming. Sometimes all that in one song!

The revamped Little Feat lineup, featuring original guitarist Paul Barrere and guitarist/trumpet player Fred Tackett, along with rip-roaring singer Shaun Murphy, keyboardist Bill Payne and drummer Richie Hayward breezed through the likes of Honest Man, Oh Atlanta, Bob Dylan's It Takes A Lot to Laugh, A Train to Cry and encore Sailin' Shoes, sometimes veering off into avenues rarely ventured in music.

Take Dixie Chicken, for instance. A simple slice of country-fuelled fun when the late Lowell George was part of the California outfit's singing and songwriting roost -- he died in 1979 -- last night's rendition took on a leisurely-paced ride with harmonies in all the right places. Then it took a proverbial detour through the backwoods -- an extended bass solo trip here, a piano trip into parts unknown there -- until it all came back together ... more than 10 minutes later.

Depending on one's taste, you either found the Grateful Dead-cum-Phish jamming aspects enticing, or enough to lull you into a "Are we there yet?" stupor.

Other highlights:

- Maria Muldaur, Acoustic Stage: Forget Midnight At the Oasis. Muldaur can pull out some amazing singing from a whole other oasis, namely the 1920s and '30s era of music of Memphis Minnie. A voice worth listening to.

- Colin Linden and Richard Bell, Acoustic Stage: One of this country's underrated guitarists, Linden knows his deep rootsy blues. And he knows so many people in the biz. Two of whom he invited up on stage with him and keyboard pal Bell. One was Anders Osborne, another fine set from earlier in the day. The other was surprise guest Colin James, who joined Linden near the end of his set.

- Double Trouble, Main Stage: The revamped Double Trouble, featuring guitarist Billy Cassis and Mike Ingalls, singer/guitarist Tina Schlieske and, of course, Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton took a few songs to find their comfort zone. After Schlieske let loose her pipes and stage frolics on Groundhog Day, all was well with the muses.

- Chris Thomas King, Acoustic Stage: The O Brother, Where Art Thou star got his acoustic chops down pat, particularly when his rendition of Skip James' Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues received a little help from Linden. Unfortunately, the same didn't translate when he later performed his "rapping blues" on the Louisiana Stage with an accompanying DJ.

- Otis Taylor, Main Stage: Hirsute bluesman, bassist Kenny Passarelli and ace guitar wiz Eddie Turner took blues to where no other band dares to go. Amazing!

- Honourable mentions: Tony D, Sherman Robertson and an early-in-the-day surprise frrom Ronnie Baker Brooks.

"If there was one year where we wanted to reach for any goals, this was the year," Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan said of the estimated 140,000 concertgoers who passed through the gates over the two weekends -- the largest festival attendance in its eight-year history.

JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5