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Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Geri Allen and Timeline, India.Arie, John Pizzarelli, Huey Lewis and the News and an all-star tribute to the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans headline this year's Monterey Jazz Festival.

The festival takes place Friday through Sunday, September 16-18, 2011, on the oak-studded expanse of the Monterey Fairgrounds. Tickets go on sale April 18 for the general public.

Check out our photos from the 2010 Monterey Jazz Fest!

The 54th annual jazz festival kicks off on Friday night, September 16, with "A Tribute to Chano Pozo & Dizzy Gillespie" featuring the Poncho Sanchez Band with special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard (who'll be appearing all weekend long at the festival). Also gracing the Main Stage Friday night are "The First Family of Cool" -- the John Pizzarelli Quartet with special guests Jessica Molaskey and jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli -- and MJF favorite Hiromi, who'll be joined by bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Steve Smith.

Saturday's blues afternoon includes main stage performances by Huey Lewis & the News and "An Afternoon in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans" with Dumpstaphunk, the Soul Rebels, jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and Louisiana Music Hall of Famer Glen David Andrews, all hosted by actor and "Treme" TV show star Wendell Pierce.

Saturday night, jazz icon Herbie Hancock returns to Monterey, along with James Farm (Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland), and this year's commissioned piece, "The Dazzler," a tap-dancing tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr., with pianist Geri Allen and Timeline.

Sunday afternoon's family-friendly performances include India.Arie and Idan Raichel, the MJF Next Generation Jazz Orchestra (directed by Paul Contos) with Artist-In-Residence Joshua Redman and special guests Benny Green and Donny McCaslin, and this year's winning High School Big Band from the 2011 Next Generation Jazz Festival.

Sunday night, the main arena stage hosts "Still Ahead," an all-star orchestra directed by Vince Mendoza featuring Terence Blanchard and Miles Evans, along with drummer Peter Erskine, that revisits three classic Miles Davis-Gil Evans albums: "Miles Ahead" (1957), Porgy & Bess" (1958), and "Sketches of Spain" (1960).

Appearing around the festival grounds Friday are Richard Bona and Raul Midon, the Robert Glasper Trio, the Erik Telford Collective, Juan Carlos Formell and Johnny's Dream Club, the Helen Sung Trio, Carmen Souza, the John Santos Sextet and the Berklee-Monterey Quintet 2011.

Saturday, keep your eyes and ears open for showcase sets by James Farm, Dumpstaphunk, the Soul Rebels, Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88's, the Donny McCaslin Group, Pamela Rose and "Wild Women of Song," the Scott Colley Quartet, the Bill Carrothers Trio, and vocalist Sarah Wilson.

Sunday's grounds performances include the Robert Glasper Experiment, the Benny Green Quartet with special guest Donald Harrison, the festival's perennial crowd-pleasing "Hammond B3 Blowout" with the Joey De Francesco Trio (with special guest Bobby Hutcherson) and the Wil Blades Trio, Ukrainian jazz pianist Eldar, the John Donaldson Quintet's "Music of Bheki Mseleku," Zun Zun, and a conversation with 2011 NEA Jazz Master and legendary record producer Orrin Keepnews.

Throughout the entire weekend, be sure to check out the festival's "Jazz on Film" series featuring "Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way" and "More To Live For" chronicling the life and times of the late jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker.

And over in the Coffee House Gallery, this year's exhibit showcases "Impulse! Records: A 50-Year Retrospective."

More performers and special festival events will be announced over the next few months as the festival date draws near. For more information, or to purchase tickets after April 18, call 925.275.9255 or visit the Monterey Jazz Festival website.