A mix of national and local talent will be featured at the Youngstown Jazz Fest, which is scheduled Saturday in conjunction with the Youngstown State University Summer Festival of the Arts.
Last year's inaugural event brought 3,500 people to Harrison Commons, and organizers are expecting 5,000 people for this year's concert.
The headliner will be Pieces of a Dream, which is both a local and national act. Keyboard player James Lloyd has called Youngstown home for the last 12 years, but Pieces of a Dream has been known in jazz/R&B circles for more than 30 years.
Lloyd and drummer Curtis Harmon remain from the original lineup that started playing together as teenagers in the mid-'70s. Jazz great Grover Washington Jr. produced the group's first three albums of smooth jazz for Elektra Records. The group has recorded for the Pittsburgh-based jazz label Heads Up International since 2001.
In addition to his work with Pieces of a Dream, Lloyd has recorded with Phyllis Hyman, Regina Belle, Eddie Murphy, Ornette Coleman and Grover Washington Jr. Harmon also performs in the jazz/funk/R&B act New Foundation.
Other acts on the bill include trombone player John Reese; Alton Merrell, a Dana School of Music graduate who currently teaches at the University of Pittsburgh; Cleveland singer Laura Varcho; and a cameo appearance by SounDoctrine, which headlined the 2011 show.
The music starts at 5 p.m. Saturday at Harrison Commons on Walnut Street in Youngstown Smoky Hollow neighborhood. This year's fest will honor the memory of sound engineer and musician Kim N. Hines, who passed away last month. Hines was the chief engineer for last year's event and was scheduled to continue for this year.
Admission is free, and those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Food and non-alcoholic beverages also are permitted, and refreshments also will be available for sale.
For more information, call 330-718-5373.