Aretha Franklin, the legendary queen of soul, will be the opening-night performer Friday night at the Toronto Jazz Festival.

You'll be able to see her for free -- if you get there early.

The concert, which starts at 8:30 p.m., will be held in a tent at David Pecaut Square, located at 221 King St. W. Josh Grossman, the festival's artistic director, said the tent can hold 1,500 people.

Wristbands for admission to the tent were to be handed out starting at 4 p.m. People began to line up by early Friday afternoon.

Two giant screens will be set up for the 10,000 additional people expected outside, making for an anticipated crowd of almost 12,000.

"We're closing down King Street for the night between John and Simcoe," Grossman said. "It should be a really great party vibe."

Franklin, 69, started touring again this spring after falling ill in late 2010. Her last Toronto performance took place in November 2009 at Roy Thomson Hall.

Her latest album, "A Woman Falling Out of Love," was released on May 3, but she is best known for hits such as "Respect" and "You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)."

Franklin isn't the only big name from the past who will be gracing the 10-day festival's stages.

One act that Grossman is hotly anticipating is the jazz super ensemble Return to Forever IV, comprised of pianist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Frank Gambale with special guest violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.

All are outstanding performers in their own right, with Clarke putting on a great show at the 2010 festival, Grossman said.

Return To Forever is the latest installment of a jazz-rock fusion collaboration that first began in the late 1970s. "It's very high energy, really kind of explosive," he said.

Other big names include:

  • Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
  • Dave Brubeck Quartet
  • Bootsy Collins
  • Stax! Featuring Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn and Eddie Floyd
  • The Roots
  • Los Lobos
  • Nikki Yanofsky
  • Branford Marsalis

Grossman said the festival will be the world-premiere venue for a new album by saxophonist Marsalis and his long-time pianist Joey Calderazzo -- "Songs of Mirth and Melancholy." That performance is to take place on June 29 at 8 p.m. in Koerner Hall, which is located at 273 Bloor St. W.

"It's a beautiful album. It moves between the worlds of jazz and classical music -- and everything in between," he said. "In Koerner Hall, it's going to sound stunning."

The Grandmasters series at the Glenn Gould Studio, located at John and Front Street West, will feature some hot young pianists such as Jacky Terrasson and Vijay Iyer.

"These (players) are really tearing it up, and as far as I'm concerned, really represent where the music is going," he said.

For those who want to more deeply explore jazz, Grossman recommends the Incubator series of seven concerts at the Music Gallery, located in St. George the Martyr Church at 197 John St.

"The musicians that are featured … all push the boundaries a little bit more," he said, adding they might fit well into a "hidden gem" category.

Grossman also recommends Atomic, comprised of five musicians from Sweden and Norway. He also mentioned the Gord Grdina Trio from Vancouver and Trio M from the United States.

An off-the-wall choice for the festival is musician-comedian Reggie Watts, who does improvisational sets using only his voice and a looping machine. He might be familiar to fans of talk show host Conan O'Brien.

"This guy is brilliant," Grossman said. "One of the essential elements of jazz is improvisation. Reggie is able to do that in his comedy, but also in his playing when he's on stage. I think it's a great fit for a jazz festival."

Local talent at the festival includes:

  • Dubmatix, a reggae, dub and electro DJ, who will be opening for the Spanish Harlem Orchestra
  • DJ John Kong, who will be opening for the Roots
  • 5 after 4, opening for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
  • Singer Molly Johnson and the Count Basie Orchestra

The festival will offer free shows every day at noon and 5:30 p.m. "We almost exclusively feature local talent at these shows," Grossman said, adding it's a way to raise the exposure of talented local artists.

The festival will feature 350 concerts and 1,500 musicians performing at more than 40 venues. It would be impossible to see everything.

Grossman said if a person isn't a knowledgeable jazz fan, he said they should rally to the Hub at David Pecaut Square and catch some of the free acts and the 2 p.m. workshops, where jazz will be discussed.

"It's a great way to get a vibe for the festival," he said. "You'll be able to pick up on what people are excited about seeing."

Grossman said the festival has put a lot of work into its festival website, including the artistic director's guide to the festival. In it, Grossman offers a blog with his own thoughts about various artists and why you should see them. He says the blog goes beyond the usual bio and focuses on "what I think is special about the artist."