The sixth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be held on June 14-17, 2007 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, located halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga.

The first event of its kind, Somethin’ Else aims to create an authentic jazz club atmosphere in the middle of the largest outdoor rock festival in the US and to introduce the Bonnaroo audience to jazz through live performances by legendary and up-and-coming artists, panel discussions about jazz history with an exhibition of classic Blue Note photography and artwork.

The legendary jazz label along with festival organizers selected an outstanding line-up from the Blue Note Records artist roster and beyond. Performers will include legendary artists such as saxophonist Lou Donaldson and Hammond B3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, established artists such as pianist Jacky Terrasson, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, clarinettist Don Byron, and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, up-and-comers such as pianist Robert In My Element Glasper and guitarist Lionel Loueke, and crossover artists such as the Scott Amendola Band featuring Nels Cline (who will also appear at the main festival in Wilco), Stanton Moore, Mago with Billy Martin and John Medeski and the return of The Philadelphia Experiment featuring Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson, Christian McBride, Uri Caine.

DownBeat magazine will also present afternoon panel discussions on the Somethin’ Else stage in between music sets 15th and 16th June with various prominent musicians from the Jazz world and beyond discussing the music and its legendary figures, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane.

Apart from Somethin’ Else, there are some great acts at the main Festival that would appeal to Fly readers like Manu Chao, Ornette Coleman, Gogolo Bordello, Aesop Rock, EL-P, Michael Franti, The Roots, DJ Shadow, Richard Thompson, Fiest and James Blood Ulmer. What an impressive line-up, you might even say, SUPERFly!

SOMETHIN’ ELSE 2007 LINE-UP:
SCOTT AMENDOLA BAND feat. NELS CLINE
DON BYRON PLAYS JUNIOR WALKER feat. CHRIS THOMAS KING
RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET
LOU DONALDSON & DR. LONNIE SMITH QUARTET
ROBERT GLASPER TRIO
STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT
LIONEL LOUEKE
MAGO feat. BILLY MARTIN & JOHN MEDESKI
STANTON MOORE TRIO
DAVID MURRAY QUARTET
THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT feat. AHMIR THOMPSON, CHRISTIAN McBRIDE, URI CAINE
JACKY TERRASSON TRIO
DOUG WAMBLE TRIO

Links:
www.bluenote.com/bonnaroo
Manchester, TN. on wikipedia
www.bonnaroo.com
www.myspace.com/questlove
www.thefinestinjazz.com