Jack Johnson, Elvis Costello Lead Latest Bluesfest Announcement

They might have already delivered one of the biggest bills in their 25 year history, but the team at Bluesfest keep assuring us that they have more up their sleeve with a number of announcements due in the coming months.

Another bunch of bands set to appear at Easter time has just dropped and it has a few very familiar, very favourable names on there.

Here's who's on it:

Jack Johnson, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Passenger, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Kasey Chambers, Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes, Trixie Whitley, The Soul Rebels, RocKwiz Live

Here's what the bill sounds like so far:

Here's what we reckon:

JACK JOHNSON:

It's not overstating things to say that Jack Johnson probably has Bluesfest to thank – at least a little bit – for his overwhelming success in the Australian market. They first booked him as an unknown indie artist way back in 2001, giving him the coveted pre-Ben Harper slot on the final night of that year's festival, and kept getting him back as his star continued to rise. The singer-songwriter, who's now a veritable superstar, will appear at Bluesfest for the sixth time in 2014 following the release of yet another hit record in From Here To Now To You. If you missed out on tickets to his December shows, get in quick for a Bluesfest pass – they've got him exclusively for this visit.

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS:

The mighty UK post-punk legend Elvis Costello has made just the one appearance at Bluesfest – as part of the blockbuster 2010 line up – but he and The Imposters are returning to Australia to hit the festival once more next year. You know how great the songs are, and all we can say about seeing them performed live by this band is be ready – the pace at which they slam out the hits will make your head spin and given there isn't a bad song in the bunch, it's almost exhausting watching them play. Costello is a true legend and he's still at the top of his game.

PASSENGER:

He did the hard yards to get where he is, so you can't help but feel that Passenger deserves his place as one of the most adored singer-songwriters on the scene right now. He spent years playing all manner of shows all across the globe – plenty of them here in Australia – and organically built a mammoth fan base through that heady mix of determination, hard work and exquisitely appealing pop songs. Passenger performs exclusively at Bluesfest on his Easter jaunt.

ROCKWIZ LIVE:

You never know who will appear on stage with RocKwiz Live around Bluesfest time, whether or not they're actually playing the festival. Fast becoming a staple of the yearly festival, the team at RocKwiz – led by the incomparable Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis – bring an amazing show every time they appear and it always brings back pretty special memories when the annual Bluesfest special is shown on the tele. Comedy, music trivia and stunning live performances – it's always been a brilliant way to get the day started and will be so again in 2014.

Check out the first announcement here.

And the second announcement here.

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS:

Safe to say Ms Grace Potter knocked the socks off more than a few punters who witnessed her and The Nocturnals' first Aussie performances as a part of Bluesfest earlier this year. Director Peter Noble made no secret of the fact that he had asked the band to return for a second year running and, sure enough, here they are. They are a dominant force on the live stage, Potter is one of the most ferocious band leaders of any gender and/or genre you'll see, and it stands to reason that Bluesfest will help them develop a bigger audience over here as the years go by.

KASEY CHAMBERS:

We've seen Kasey Chambers at stacks of Bluesfest events – even when she's not playing – but it's nice to welcome her back into the fold as she no doubt airs plenty of new music for the festival crowd. She has played the event nine times since her first appearance back in 1999, so it wouldn't be right to celebrate without her. Of course the very fact that she's one of the biggest country stars we have ever produced is reason enough to have her onboard regardless…

TRIXIE WHITLEY:

As the lead singer in the Daniel Lanois helmed Black Dub project, Trixie Whitley got the chance to prove to a relatively wide audience that she has something special; now she's pushing on with the solo career she's been butting out for years now, with the release of her debut LP Fourth Corner earlier this year. An arresting, soulful voice and prodigious multi-instrumental musical talent puts her up there with the best of them and she'll hold her own with the already stunning array of female soul talents on offer for 2014's Bluesfest.

THE SOUL REBELS:

Can you ever have too much New Orleans music on the Bluesfest bill? Well, that's all down to your own personal preference, but the most correct answer is a decisive 'no'. For years Bluesfest has brought the finest in New Orleans talent to Australian shores and we're in for a real treat with this eight piece brass band extravaganza by the looks of things. They're young, vibrant, proficient and they mix the traditional with the contemporary. If you're yet to experience the brilliance of a live New Orleans Brass Band in full flight, just wait to experience it – no amount of YouTube videos or Spotify streams will replicate the feeling.

CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN' RACKETTES:

Surely one of the finest soul acts this country has ever produced, Melbourne's Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes just keep getting better every time we see them. Their debut LP Baby Caught The Bus was truly excellent, but it's in the live arena that you can best experience the full extent of this band's brilliance. Great musicians, great singers, great dancers and great songs make these guys and gals one of the best live propositions in our country right now.

These great acts join the following already announced artists:

John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Iron & Wine, Aaron Neville, Erykah Badu, John Butler Trio, Gregg Allman, Boz Scaggs, Doobie Brothers, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, India.Arie, Dr John & The Nite Trippers, Morcheeba, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Devendra Banhart, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Wailers, Jimmie Vaughan, Gary Clark Jr, Suzanne Vega, Ozomatli, CW Stoneking, Allen Stone, Larry Graham & Graham Central Station, KT Tunstall, Robben Ford, Grandmothers of Invention, The Magic Band, Valerie June, Nikki Hill, The Paladins, Music Maker Foundation Feat. Pat Wilder, Cool John Ferguson, and Little Freddie King

All the dates are below. Get in quick if you wanna be a part of the fun; tickets are available from the Bluesfest website.