The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, now in its 46th year, has posted its 2016 lineup. Concurrent with its aim in providing listeners with best and most relevant in jazz, blues and rock, the festival kicks off April 22 and spans two weekends at New Orleans' City Park.
The two weekend umbrellas that the festival operates under is April 22-24 and April 28-May 1. The bill is jam packed with mammoth jazz musicians, including Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Chris Botti, Stephen Colbert's Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Ellis Marsalis, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and more.
Perhaps some of the largest names in music, some of history's reigning legends included will be Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young + Promise of the Real, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Beck, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello & The Imposters and My Morning Jacket.
Other notable acts include Janelle Monáe, Snoop Dogg, Dr. John & the Nite Trippers, Gary Clark Jr., Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt, J. Cole, Gov't Mule, Bozz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, The Isley Brothers, Grace Potter, Johnny Lang, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Aaron Neville, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Rhiannon Giddens, The Lone Bellow and Buffy Sainte-Marie and others.
Last year, there were other huge stars that took the stage like Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt and Ty Taylor.
So to kick off the festival season this early in the year, New Orleans will host an array of talented artists and intelligent concertgoers as the rest of us up north try and find a way to hold out from the polar vortex in loom over the city.
A full day-by-day breakdown, along with ticket information, has been posted to the festival's website.
And in the meantime, preview Sir Elton John form last year's gala below.
