The event, which runs September 3-4 at the Woodlands Horse Track, will showcase 24 stellar musical acts over two days. Show organizers are prepped fill the facility's 30, 000 seats and say it's the first time the venue has hosted an event of this magnitude.

"We're really 'jazzed' to be at the Woodlands for this festival, " says Mark Valentine, event founder and himself a professional musician. "It's never been offered for an event like this, and yet it's the perfect venue for blues and jazz lovers."

Established as a premier horse racing track in the Kansas City, KS area, the Woodlands management negotiated with Valentine and a mutual respect was the result.

"If you drive an expensive car, we offer you a free, paved parking lot with lights and security. If you are physically challenged, we have complete handicap access. If you are dressed up and wearing high heels to the event, we have paved pathways to accommodate you, " Valentine said. "What we don't offer is a four mile hike from your car to your seat, a grassy hillside you can throw a blanket over and sit on, or outdoor and non-air-conditioned bathrooms in the summer heat."

Doors will open at 11 a.m. with opening acts getting underway at noon. The show will go on throughout the day and evening, until the last of the entertainers takes their final bow.

To date, organizers have booked such popular national and local artists as John Lee Hooker, Jr., Billy Paul, Sons of Brasil, Big Woody Blues Review, Haji Ahkba, Millage Gilbert, Joanna Connor, KARMA, Old School Knights, Camp Harlow, Cotton Candy and Boulevard Big Band -- and more to come.

Meanwhile, the Woodlands offers concert-goers a covered grandstand, free parking and patrolled parking lots. Tickets are just $17.50 per day with children under age 12 free, and can be obtained through TicketMaster at 816-931-3330.

For more information, visit the Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival website at /www.kansascitymusic.com.