The Sonoma Jazz + Festival has announced that LeAnn Rimes and Robert Cray have joined the all-star lineup for the Memorial Day weekend event. Rimes, the young queen of country music with the incredible range, and Cray, the Bay Area blues player, will share the program on opening night, Thursday, May 24.
The announcement rounds out the festival’s featured artists, who include Smokey Robinson with Michael McDonald on Friday, Harry Connick, Jr. and his Big Band with Bonerama on Saturday, and Tony Bennett on closing night, Sunday, May 27.
Rimes, now 23, burst on the scene at the age of 13 with her first album, “Blue,” earned two Grammys, three Country Music Awards and four Billboard Music Awards by the time she was 18, and has racked up other awards and bestselling records in the last five years.
Cray, a veteran musician whose albums include “Who’s Been Talkin'” and “Strong Persuader” (with its well-known single, “Smoking Gun”), is also a Grammy winner.
Patrons’ tickets are on sale now at www.sonomajazz.org or 866.468.8355. As a courtesy to Sonoma residents, the festival will offer advance tickets for one day only, Saturday, March 17, starting at 11 a.m. at the Sonoma Community Center. General admission and reserved tickets will go on sale Sunday, March 18. For details, visit www.sonomajazz.org
