Jazz fans are gearing up for a weekend of saxophone, guitar and piano at the 2009 Tokyo Jazz Festival.

The event will take place at the Tokyo International Forum Hall A, Sept. 4-6.

The festival kicks off with an opening Gala Night at 7 p.m. on Sept. 4.

The opener will feature a collaboration of Japanese and Dutch jazz artists. This will be followed by a classical jazz performance music by the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

The second day of the festival begins at 1 p.m. and will feature a variety of grooves by many established jazz musicians, and special guest John Scofield, one of the world's great jazz guitarists. At 7 p.m., American jazz singer and composer Melody Gardot will make a special appearance.

The final day of the festival starts at 1 p.m. with a performance by the McCoy Tyner Trio, a threesome formed by U.S. jazz pianist McCoy Tyner. Other artists will perform throughout the day until 7 p.m., when legendary Blue Note Records takes over the show and provides the beats for the final tunes of the evening.

Tokyo Jazz Festival 2009 will be held Sept. 4-6. SS-section seats are sold out, but seats in the S section cost ¥8,500, while A-section seats cost ¥6,500. Access: A 1-min. walk from Yurakucho Station on the JR Yamanote Line. For tickets, call 0570-02-9972. For more information, call (03) 5777-8600 or visit www.tokyo-jazz.com.