The Toronto Jazz Festival has announced its opening night headliner will be soul diva Aretha Franklin.

Franklin, 69, will take the stage in for a free show to kick off the festival with a performance at Metro Square on June 24.

Full story here.

I am so going to see Aunt ReRe!

"Other artists announced for the Toronto jazz bash include the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Average White Band and the Stax Allstars, Los Lonely Boys with Los Lobo, Bootsy Collins and veteran hip-hop act the Roots, who will take the stage on Canada Day."

...And the Jazz Fest concerts are FREE, I think!

Lammastide said:

"Other artists announced for the Toronto jazz bash include the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Average White Band and the Stax Allstars, Los Lonely Boys with Los Lobo, Bootsy Collins and veteran hip-hop act the Roots, who will take the stage on Canada Day."

...And the Jazz Fest concerts are FREE, I think!

Whenever it takes place, hope you have fun and tells us how ReeRee killed it and Bootsy too.

Timmy84 said:

Lammastide said:

"Other artists announced for the Toronto jazz bash include the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Average White Band and the Stax Allstars, Los Lonely Boys with Los Lobo, Bootsy Collins and veteran hip-hop act the Roots, who will take the stage on Canada Day."

...And the Jazz Fest concerts are FREE, I think!

Whenever it takes place, hope you have fun and tells us how ReeRee killed it and Bootsy too.

Will do. It's a decent lineup, but one problem I have with "jazz fests" these days is that, in fact, there seem to be so few featured jazz bands.

[Edited 6/17/11 15:44pm]

Lammastide said:

Timmy84 said:

Whenever it takes place, hope you have fun and tells us how ReeRee killed it and Bootsy too.

Will do. It's a decent lineup, but one problem I have with "jazz fests" these days is that, in fact, there seem to be so few featured jazz bands.

[Edited 6/17/11 15:44pm]

I agree. Should just change it to TORONTO MUSIC FEST.