NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Now hear this: Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews, James Taylor and Tony Bennett are among the acts that will play at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The outdoor musical fete spans seven days over two weekends – April 24 to 26 and April 30 to May 3. Organisers announced the lineup yesterday.

Some of the other performers will include Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Buffett, Sugarland, Pete Fountain, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper, Earth, Wind and Fire, Wilco and the Neville Brothers. Diana Krall, Tim McGraw, Santana and the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band also are set to perform.