Harvest Jazz and Blues unveils 2016 Saturday lineup

Big name acts that will perform this year on the Saturday night lineup at Fredericton's Harvest Jazz& Blues Festival include Drive-by Truckers, Robert Cray and Plants and Animals.

The festival runs Sept. 13-18.

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"Harvest has thrown down a Saturday night that sends a clear message to our fans," said Brent Staeben, Harvest's music programmer in a news release.

He said while some festivals in Canada are scaling back, or even shutting down, Harvest continues to be a "premiere musical experience, with an incredible array of national and international headline acts."

On Saturday Sept. 17,the Blues Tent behind City Hall will feature the Harvest debut ofDrive-By Truckers.

National Public Radio in the United Stateshas said the band is "as tough and grand on any given night as the best live rock band you've ever seen."

Joining the Truckersonthe Blues Tent bill will be five-time Grammy winner and Blues Hall of Fame legend Robert Cray and thirteen-year-old guitar prodigy Brandon "Taz" Niederauer.

Niederaueris currently starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway smash hit School of Rock: The Musical.

Variety of artists to appeal to all tastes

At the same time, the Mojo Tent in Officers' Squarewill feature rootsy rockers The Revivalists, Halifax funk institution, the Mellotones and MarchFourth!

MarchFourth! is described as a genre-breaking force delivered by 20 musicians and dancers.

Meanwhile The Playhouse will showcase the biggest jazz concert in Harvest history.

That show will feature three-time Grammy winner Dee Dee Bridgewater, also a Tony Award winning stage actress.

She'll be on a bill with saxophonist Phil Dwyer, whose 30-year career led to his appointment to the Order Of Canada in 2013.

On the Barracks Stage, Juno nominees Plants and Animals will make its Harvest debut in support of its 2016 album Waltzed in from the Rumbling.

Also at that venue will be New Orleans pedal steel act RumpelSTEELskin and three-time Polaris Prize nominees The Besnard Lakes.

Its music is described as "dark, foreboding and endlessly intriguing."

The Blues Court will be centrally located so that even more of our patrons can sample some of the best names in Maritime electric blues- BrentStaeben, Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival'smusic programmer

The Blues Court will feature Shrimp Daddy & The Sharpshooters, The Christine Campbell Band, The Mark Green Band and The Keith Hallett Band.

"Harvest is always looking for ways to improve the musical experience for festival goers," said Staeben. "The Blues Court will be centrally located so that even more of our patrons can sample some of the best names in Maritime electric blues."

The festival also announced it will relocate the Hoodoo House from King Street and introduce a new venue adjacent to the Justice Building on Queen Street.

Harvest Jazz and Blues has already announced that Metric, Stars and Champion & His G-Strings will perform at this year's festival.

A full schedule will be released on May 11.