The lineup for the 2016 Essence Fest, happening in New Orleans from June 30 - July 3, has been announced. Many fantastic artists will be performing at this year's fest, but a few may be of particular interest to WWOZ's audience:

Leon Bridges

The Fort Worth, Texas native and Columbia Records singer songwriter and R&B artist, Leon Bridges is currently enjoying a wolf out headline tour. The tour comes on the heels of his Grammy nominated debut album Coming Home, featuring breakout singles "Coming Home", "Better Man” and "River" which he performed on Saturday Night Live.

New Breed Brass Band (video below)

New Breed Brass Band lives and breathes the culture of New Orleans, infusing funk, rock, jazz, and hip-hop into a custom-made enhancement of second-line brass band tradition. Since their street debut in 2013 at the Nine Times Second Line, they’ve showcased their originality opening for diverse bands, like The Fray, Red Baraat, Dr. John, The Waterboys and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and competed in the Red Bull Street Kings brass band competition.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Founded in 1961, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. The band travels worldwide fulfilling their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. Many of the bands’ charter members performed with the pioneers who invented jazz in the early twentieth century including Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. Regardless of whether they are releasing new material or old or performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Carnegie Hall or for the King of Thailand, Preservation Hall Jazz Band embodies a joyful, timeless spirit that can’t be ignored.

Robert Glasper Experiment (2015 WWOZ Piano Night performer)

Persistently shunning genre boundaries, the Robert Glasper Experiment has cut a bold new sonic path with Black Radio and Black Radio 2.  The GRAMMY-winning albums embody an amalgamation of sounds, pouring jazz harmonies over hip-hop rhythms, laced with R&B grooves and melodies. The Experiment’s live show never ceases to change shape and form, always taking new angles on their already distinctive covers and originals alike.

See the full lineup here: http://www.essence.com/festival/schedule/list/artist