ANACORTES — Whether it’s the rare collaboration between top-notch guitarists Bill Frisell and Doug Wamble, the return of the Hammond B-3 organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith, or the anticipation of up-and-coming Canadian vocalist Kellylee Evans, there’s plenty to treat the ears and tickle the fancy of jazz enthusiasts during the Labor Day weekend.

The festival’s booking director, John Gilbreath, has lined up most of the 15 artists or groups that will perform during the festival that kicks off with a gala evening celebration and concert Friday, Aug. 29, and continues with music Saturday, Sunday and Monday on two stages at the Port of Anacortes’ Curtis Wharf.

The festival offers something for everyone — a variety of blues, swing and rock. It will play host to some familiar names and sounds as well as bringing in some fresh faces and voices.

“One of the great things about an event like this is that it can introduce us to new loves in our musical lives, and it can be fun in the process,” said Gilbreath who also is executive director of EarShot Jazz, a not-for-profit, Seattle-based jazz society.

And for those who want to experience their jazz in a less formal environment, there’s the annual Jazz Walk, which is affiliated with the festival and features 17 local and regional performers at seven downtown taverns or restaurants in the evenings Friday through Sunday. One ticket bought at the door of one of the eateries gets the buyer into all of the venues.

“For people coming up as tourists, it really adds a whole other dimension,” Gilbreath said. “I love the feeling of walking up and down Commercial Avenue at night — people meeting people who they haven’t met, comparing notes: “How’d you like this band? How’d you like that band?”

Festival organizers are expecting that even more people will check out this year’s Jazz Festival, with its long list of renowned national, regional and local performers.

The Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio “dazzled” the festival audience last year and is returning for another round. A veteran performer who has been part of the jazz scene for almost 50 years, Smith holds a lot of magic for young audiences, Gilbreath said.

“He’s got more musical style and soul in his little finger than most of us have in our bodies,” Gilbreath said. “So does jazz and blues singer Kevin Mahogany.”

Kevin Mahogany, described by NewsWeek as the “standout jazz vocalist of his generation,” is scheduled to sing Friday at the festival’s gala and then Saturday on the wharf main stage.

Bill Frisell — who has performed and recorded with all of the venerable masters of jazz, as well as Elvis Costello and Bono — brings a distinctive sound from the leading edge of jazz. Gilbreath said that he was astonished by the breadth of the jazz compositions written by Doug Wamble, whose musical roots are in the blues. The two are scheduled to play together Saturday.

“I’m looking forward to (their performance) on a couple of levels,” Gilbreath said. “Both of them are completely flexible. … Both are so fluid and so well-informed. I’d expect some magic there.”

Jeanie Bryson, daughter of jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, is expected to bring soul, swing and sultry to the stage.

Then there’s up-and-coming Canadian vocalist Kellylee Evans, who has been compared to Sarah Vaughan, Norah Jones and Sade. She has earned high marks in juried festivals and recently released her debut album “Fight or Flight.”

This year’s festival will incorporate some of the more welcome additions from last year, including the free community dance, said Stephanie Hamilton, program and events director for the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the festival. The event is one of the chamber’s largest annual fundraisers.

At this year’s dance, Pony Boy All-Star “Mini” Big Band will perform Saturday night in the Port Warehouse, and instructors will teach swing dancing, Hamilton said. The festival is offering teens with a student identification a discounted $10 ticket in hopes of encouraging younger audiences to appreciate jazz.

Some changes to the festival this year include the position of the main stage at Curtis Wharf, Hamilton said. The audience will face west rather than north. The new position and the addition of a Plexiglas sheet behind the stage will block the wind, which has chilled performers in past years. This also will give the audience a better view of the San Juan Islands, she said.

Hamilton said the chamber works hard to keep performers happy. Since the organization has a nominal budget of $25,000 for talent, Hamilton said they are aiming to provide the best sound possible and be the friendliest festival of its kind around.

“Some of the (performers) from Seattle will lower their rates because they want to be part of it,” she said.

The quality of the performers, the setting and the price may be why the festival has grown in the past few years, Hamilton said. Last summer, 1,500 tickets were sold, almost double the previous year’s 800.

“Come out and have some fun with it,” Gilbreath said. “I think people take jazz — including those who play it — take it way too seriously. It’s an art form that is alive and vibrant now. It has a lot of gifts to give to the future.”

Marta Murvosh can be reached at 360-416-2149 or .