B.B. King

Who? You've probably heard that BB King, Al Green and Little Richard headline the big wrap-up show of the PAETEC Jazz Festival on Saturday, August 11, but let's go back to the beginning. The first night of the Baltimore's jazz festival Boney James and Jonathan Butler take the stage. On August 10, Earth, Wind & Fire performs. While these shows are all at Pier Six Concert Pavilion, simultaneously there are more ticketed shows going on at Rams Head Live!.

What? In addition to the line-up of ticketed shows, the three-day music festival includes more than 20 free concerts with everything from Baltimore's own Fertile Ground to Hungarian jazz performers Djabe.

Where? The performances take place at five different venues throughout the waterfront area.

• Pier Six Pavilion
• Rams Head Live!
• Bond Street Wharf Landing in Fells Point
• Harbor Point in Harbor East
• Power Plant Live! Plaza in the Inner Harbor

Why? Communications company PAECTEC, whose CEO Arunas Chesonis was born in Baltimore, is sponsoring the jazz festival as part of its marketing efforts. Baltimore was chosen, in part, because of its compact waterfront area with multiple venues. Also the city's history of African-American musicians like Billie Holiday, Eubie Blake and Chick Webb as well as its numerous African-American heritage sites were factors in Baltimore's victory over other cities vying for the festival, which included Providence, RI, and Charlotte, NC. The plan is for this to become an annual event.

When? Thursday, August 9 to Saturday, August 11

^{Visiting the Inner Harbor?: Attractions | Parking | Dining}