Tri-C JazzFest boasts luminaries, Grammy winners

• Organizers hope to build on last year's event, which drew more than 10,000 people.

Why it matters: You'd have to go back to Tri-C JazzFest's 2016 lineup featuring Diana Krall, Leon Russell, Al Jarreau and Dr. John, among others, to match this year's caliber.

The intrigue: Headliners include jazz icon Herbie Hancock, New Orleans great Trombone Shorty, Afropop star Angélique Kidjo and Grammy winner Samara Joy.

• Hancock hasn't performed in the Cleveland area in nearly 40 years; Joy arrives in town four months after becoming just the second jazz performer to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Details: Nearly 500 musicians will take the stage for ticketed theater shows and free outdoor concerts.

• The festival kicks off at 3pm Thursday on Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street with an outdoor concert featuring vocalist Reggie Kelly.
• Trombone Shorty and his Orleans Avenue band will close things out Saturday night at Connor Palace.

Between the lines: It's not just about the headliners. Potential hidden gems include Akron jazz artist Dan Wilson, who will perform seven decades of hits by Stevie Wonder.

• Plus: Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and former Journey drummer Steve Smith presents his jazz fusion band Vital Information on Saturday.

What they're saying: "A festival is a feast," festival director Terri Pontremoli tells Axios.

• "That's what the word means. It's about putting together a great menu of offerings with a varied palate."

If you go: Tickets to theater shows are available via Playhouse Square. Prices vary.