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The stages have been erected, the tickets have been sold - this town is ready for the fourth annual Sonoma Jazz Plus festival.

Headliners of the annual music festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday, include Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock and Kool & the Gang. The festival promises its usual lineup of world-class music, along with wine, food and jazz performances all weekend. "Everything is looking great. We're ready to go," said Jim Horowitz, the festival's executive producer. "Bring it on."

Those scrambling for last-minute tickets may run into some problems. Horowitz said tickets to country maven Raitt's Sunday night performance, where jazz vocalist Al Jarreau will open, are completely sold out. Only a handful of tickets are left for singer/songwriter Krall's Saturday night show.

Tickets are still available to the opening-night dance party with Kool & the Gang on Thursday. During this concert, festival organizers will take out the first several rows to make room for a dance floor, encouraging everyone to get on their feet.  

"It's pretty unique. As an adult, you don't really get to go dancing unless there's a wedding," Horowitz said. Those interested can also still buy tickets to Hancock's Friday night performance, with blues legend Al Green opening the show. Hancock will be performing selections from "Rivers: The Joni Letters," his renditions of classic Joni Mitchell songs. The album took home the Grammy for Album of the Year.

"This isn't going to be anything like his last performance," Horowitz said. "This is going to be a totally different show. This is the music that won him the Grammy."

Concertgoers can enjoy more than just music during the festival. In between performances every night, attendees can peruse the festival village, where food and wine is available for purchase and a variety of Bay Area performers will keep the music going.

"It's going to be just a great outdoor venue," said Suzanne Brangham, chair of the festival.

In addition to the traditional concerts, Wine and Song offers an alternative way to enjoy the festival. Musicians and wineries are paired, such as "Swing Away with Chardonnay," where jazzy swing is presented alongside chilled chardonnay.

During this event on Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. guests can find jazz musicians playing in the back courtyards of Plaza shops such as the Fred Randolph Quartet, John Worley and Swing Fever. Meanwhile, Sonoma Valley wineries will pour winetastings for visitors. Tickets to Wine and Song are $50 in advance, $60 the day of the event.

Hundreds of Sonomans are involved in the festival in different ways, from the construction crew that erects the stage to the dozens of volunteers who control the crowd. Sonoman Sandy Harvey does her part by creating much of the promotional merchandise sold during the event.

"I'm the T-shirt lady," Harvey jokes about her number one selling product.

Harvey's business, Ad On Products, does exactly what the name implies, it puts ads and logos on merchandise. She's done the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, she's done the Ox Roast, and for the second year, she will provide all the T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and hats sold at Jazz Plus.

"(The festival organizers) are so busy getting everything organized," Harvey said. "They like the fact that they don't have to worry about merchandise."

Harvey has all her products silk-screened and embroidered at In Motion, based at Infineon Raceway, keeping the business within the Valley.

After the festival, interested parties can contact her at (888) 558-2366 to inquire about the leftover merchandise. "We try to hit our sales and everything beyond that helps support music in schools," Harvey said. "But there's always leftovers."

Proceeds from Sonoma Jazz Plus benefit continuing music education in the classrooms, a vital service in a time when school funding is so tight that many extracurricular programs are cut. Thanks to Jazz Plus, Valley middle school students are able to participate in an annual musical performance, Valley elementary students have guitars and drums to learn to play in class, and promising high school musicians are awarded college scholarships.

"What's happening in the schools is really great," Brangham said.

For more information on Sonoma Jazz Plus, visit www.sonomajazz.org or call (866) 468-8355.

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