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American rapper and musician Michael Franti plays July 2 while on July 3, former Beach Boy Wilson will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his classic Pet Sounds album by performing it in its entirety, joined by fellow Beach Boys Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin.

On June 23 blues legend Elvin Bishop and harmonica king Charlie Musselwhite take the main stage and organizers say they may have a surprise to announce for that day as well. On June 27, the always popular Trombone Shorty will be back.

Photo by michelle

As in previous years, the festival is staging indoor concerts at the National Arts Centre. For the first time, the festival is making use of the NAC’s Theatre, where it will hold three shows.

The first, on June 22, a day before the festival officially gets under way, features Los Angeles-based saxophonist Kamasi Washington, whose groovy three-CD release The Epic was a critics’ favourite last year. Washington has a lot of hip-hop cachet because he has worked with such artists as Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg and Thundercat.

On June 25, the reunited quartet of guitarist John Scofield and saxophonist Joe Lovano, another jazz all-star formation, plays the NAC Theatre. On July 2, London-based singer Stacey Kent, who performed at the festival in 2014, brings her smooth sound to the Theatre.

In the somewhat smaller NAC Studio, there will be concerts by saxophonist Colin Stetson (June 27), funky New Orleans keyboardist Jon Cleary and his Absolute Monster Gentlemen (June 28), guitar wizard Charlie Hunter with trombonist/vocalist Curtis Fowlkes and drummer Bobby Previte (June 29) and Russian saxophonist Igor Butman and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra (June 30).