This latest Bluesfest announcement is for the old school Bluesfest lovers, the guys and gals who've been there year after year and who appreciate some of the more veteran performers on the bill, the people who probably prefer to sit down and have a couple of drinks throughout its duration than the crazed youngsters running all over the place.

Basically, this announcement is packed full of legendary performers – not a Johnny come lately in sight – and it proves the event's steadfast dedication to supporting the influential acts of yesteryear as much as the bright up and comers.

Here's who's on it:

Doobie Brothers, Aaron Neville, Gregg Allman, Boz Scaggs, India.Arie, Dr John, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Jamaican Legends feat. Ernest Ranglin, Sly & Robbie, Bitty McLean, Suzanne Vega, Jimmie Vaughan, The Wailers, Ozomatli, CW Stoneking, Larry Graham & Graham Central Station, Grandmothers of Invention, The Magic Band, Robben Ford, The Paladins, Music Maker Foundation Feat. Little Freddie King, Cool John Ferguson, Pat Wilder

Here's what it sounds like:

Here's what we reckon:

The Doobie Brothers

All you need to do is look at a list of their greatest hits to know that The Doobie Brothers are one of the most incredible groups who has ever existed, in terms of both songwriting and performing. They have sold over 40 million records, topped the charts around the world and been the soundtrack to special moments in countless people's lives, no doubt. You won't see a slicker band – listen to their most recent live LP Live At Wolf Trap to get an indication of how these guys sound – they'll raise the roof next year.

Aaron Neville

There's no smoother voice than Aaron Neville, as far as we're concerned, and after half a century in the business and on Bluesfest's 25th anniversary he's finally hitting the Northern New South Wales event for his own show, where he can delve into the incredible catalogue of music he has been responsible for over so many years. Appearances with The Neville Brothers and with the Blind Boys Of Alabama have been utterly incredible, but this chance to hear these specific songs is one we can really relish. Make sure you bring someone you can hold nice and tight.

Gregg Allman

One of the progenitors of the music we know and love as Southern Rock, Gregg Allman has earned a very important place in music history. Finally he makes the trek to Australia, for the very first time, to be a part of the Bluesfest celebrations and we couldn't think of a better event for him to visit on his first journey out this way. He was the leader of the Allman Brothers (in case you didn't know) and that group have so many Australian fans who have been itching to see him perform for so long. The wait is actually about to be over.

Boz Scaggs

He was once a member of the Steve Miller Band (who played last year), after being one of the many members of blues rockers Mother Earth, but it didn't take long for Boz Scaggs to become a renowned solo artist in his own right. With a little help from the band who would go on to become Toto, he made a whole stack of hits in the mid-late 1970s like Lowdown, Lido Shuffle and We're All Alone. His 1975 LP Silk Degrees has sold millions of copies, but he's continued to make music pretty much the whole way through his career, with MEMPHIS released earlier this year. Some good memories will be unearthed, great musicianship witnessed and a few classic covers will no doubt drop as well.

India.Arie

She performed at the 2006 event and has reportedly been on the wishlist of organisers ever since. India.Arie is a true star in the world of R&B, but there are elements of folk music that have crept in and out of music throughout the past decade and a bit she has been recording. Her live performances are enchanting and, given how good her latest LP SongVersation is, we're expecting her 2014 appearance to be pretty great indeed.

Dr John & The Nite Trippers

He's always been a Bluesfest favourite and his music has been a staple of any self-respecting New Orleans devotee's collection since his incredible Gris Gris debut back in 1968. But, out of nowhere, Dr John actually became kinda cool with a wider audience again last year, thanks toa brilliant record in Locked Down, produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. He seems to have got a little more of his Night Tripper swagger back and it's real exciting to get to see him for the first time since that successful record – it's only right that it's over Easter at this event.

Steve Earle & The Dukes

Steve Earle has often said he can't afford to bring The Dukes back to Australia, but Bluesfest have made it happen and – as incredible as he is solo – this is incredibly exciting for any fan of his extensive catalogue. Having such a muscular but tasteful group behind him, bringing a liveliness to the heavier numbers he has released over the years, means the shows are a completely different beast and something we haven't had the pleasure of witnessing for many years.

Jamaican Legends Feat. Ernest Ranglin, Sly & Robbie, Bitty McLean

Hot damn, this will be one unmissable performance for any reggae devotee. Rhythm section Sly & Robbie have played on just about every great reggae track ever committed to tape and then some. Ernest Ranglin is one of the truly great guitarists in the world and an enduring reggae figure; the fact that he can continue to be so great at the age of 81 is inspiring. Bitty McLean is of a newer school, the British lovers rock vocalist scoring a few hits in the 1990s.

Suzanne Vega

Yes, you know her as the songwriter who did Luka and probably for her song Tom's Diner as well, but fans of Suzanne Vega's will happily run you through scores of songs they consider to be as good as her hits. It seems she is thje kind of artist always trying something new, from playwriting to collaborating with strange and wonderful artists to hosting radio programs and so much more. But she brings her enormous bag of wonderful songs to Bluesfest 2014 and will charm us all with selections from throughout her 30 year career.

Jimmie Vaughan

His sole visit to Bluesfest back in … is still spoken of as something of a religious experience for many who attended. Jimmie Vaughn (yes, he is the older brother of the late Stevie Ray) absolutely blew us away with a stunning set of good old fashioned blues guitar. A former member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Vaughn's Texan blues is some of the best around and is a perfect example of this event's tireless dedication to the blues.

The Wailers

No matter who your favourite reggae artist is, you can't deny that no one has come close to Bob Marley & The Wailers as far as pushing the genre to a wide audience. This year we see the return of The Wailers, currently featuring Al Anderson who was a member of Marley's band back in the mid-1970s, and a band who celebrate the immense legacy that the great man left behind when he passed on all those years ago. God knows those songs aren't getting any less amazing as the years go on.

Ozomatli

They pretty much make Bluesfest their own whenever they hit its stage; the funky Latin hip hop dance party doesn't stop from the time they hit the stage to the time they end – most often not on the stage any longer. They've played a stack of Bluesfests, but not for a while, and they will bring back fond memories of the festival for many.

CW Stoneking

Where the hell has C.W. Stoneking been? This guy is a force of nature; how he manages to produce music that doesn't just sound so authentically old, but is also so damn good. He's an amazing songwriter and a real character on and off the stage; it's so exciting to hear that he is back in action and he will no doubt get a huge response from the crowds who welcome him back for another Bluesfest in 2014.

Larry Graham & Graham Central Station

Don't know who Larry Graham is? Well, basically, he invented slap bass. Seriously, this guy is one of the true pioneers of funk and rock'n'roll music and has inspired just about every bass player who came after him. A member of Sly & The Family Stone until 1972; use that information to go and have a look at the kinds of records he was on. Graham Central Station have cut stacks of incredible funk tunes off their own bat as well and they'll be a welcome funk injection for many next year.

Grandmothers Of Invention

We'll never see Frank Zappa at Bluesfest, but the Grandmothers Of Invention has got to be one of the closest things we'll ever get. Featuring members of Zappa's Mothers Of Invention band, these guys will run through some of the amazing music they created alongside the aforementioned incomparable guitar genius in what will be an absolutely crazy experience for so many. If the response Frank's son Dweezil got at Bluesfest a few years back is anything to go by, you'll want to get in early for this one.

The Magic Band

They're not kidding; this is The Magic Band. Members of the band who backed up Captain Beefheart from throughout the time he was really pushing the boundaries of rock music, starting with the practically perfect Trout Mask Replica. If you're a music nerd and you don't have a chill running up your spine with news of these guys coming to Bluesfest then you need to sit down and reassess. These guys are going to freak out plenty come Easter time.

Robben Ford 

Robben Ford is one of the great guitarists in the world and is one of those rare artists who is able to appeal to both technical guitar freaks and your average everyday music lover. There's a sense of class to the way he plays and it's that classiness that has made him slot in so well with everyone from Miles Davis to Joni Mitchell and even KISS, back in the early 80s.

The Paladins

They played the first ever Bluesfest back in 1990 and they're playing the 25th, even though, well, they're not really a band anymore. The Paladins will blow your head off with their brand of rockabilly; they are one of the great live acts going around and are a perfect bridge between the old school and new school variations of that style of music. They play only rarely these days, but it wouldn't be right for them to miss out on this party. Get your dancing shoes ready.

Music Maker Foundation Feat.  Little Freddie King, Cool John Ferguson, Pat Wilder

An institution of Bluesfest for years and years, the Music Maker Foundation is not only great because they do great work, but they bring some of the absolute best blues on the planet to our shores when we usually would get much of a chance to see these acts. The cousin of Lightnin' Hopkins and damn good electric blues player Little Freddie King, the proficient and diverse Cool John Ferguson and one of the stars of this year's festival Pat Wilder have been announced as coming along for the 2014 showcase.