In what has turned into an annual event in the city, the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival kicks off on Friday with a variety of performers set to bring top-notch entertainment to both jazz purists and fans of adult contemporary.

If you'€™re a fan of the R&B-infused pop peddled by American singer Robin Thicke, you can catch his show at the festival.

Thicke is scheduled to deliver a one-hour performance at the Jakarta International Expo'€™s BNI hall in the PRJ Kemayoran area in Central Jakarta, at 8:30 p.m.

If you'€™re a fan of his hits '€œLost Without U'€, '€œMagic'€ , '€œSex Therapy'€ and '€œBlurred Lines,'€ this is certainly a performance not to be missed.

'€œBlurred Lines'€ was one of the biggest hits of 2013, catapulting Thicke to worldwide fame. With its 1980s funk, R&B beats and racy lyrics, the song became the longest running number one single of 2013 and one of the best-selling singles of all time.

But if you'€™re not a fan of Thicke'€™s derivative music or persona and want to catch something more experimental, Java Jazz boasts another headliner, legendary Japanese ska group Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, whose eclectic mix of traditional ska, jazz and rock has proven to have be a big influence on Japanese music.

The band'€™s performance will kick off at 9:15 p.m. at MLDSPOT hall.

Other performers on the first day of the festival are legends of the jazz and fusion scene.

Singer-bassist Mark King, who popularized the slap and pop style of bass playing in the 1980s, will hit the Java Jazz hall stage alongside his jazz group, Level 42, starting at 10 p.m.

Other notable artists performing on Friday include Grammy-award winning saxophonist Boney James and smooth jazz trumpet player Rick Braun.

Local talents will be well-represented in Jazz On Broadway, where singers Lea Simanjuntak, Aimee Saras and Andrea Miranda will sing jazz numbers from Broadway shows in collaboration with the Ron King Big Band and music director Ricky Lionardi.

To please young pop fans, Java Jazz has again included in its lineup singers and bands with only a dollop of jazz in their music.

Pop band HiVi and Rizky Febian, the son of television comedian Sule, whose claim to fame is mellow pop song '€œKesempurnaan Cinta'€ (Love Perfection), will appear on Friday evening.

Other performers, such as R&B veteran Glenn Fredly and up and coming singer Yura Yunita, will perform in separate shows on Friday.

Bigger names in the business, David Foster, Chris Botti and Sting, however, will only hit the stage on Saturday.

Foster, one of the most successful record producers in history, will share the stage with Indonesian musicians, whose names have yet to be announced, twice on Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:15 p.m.

American trumpeter and composer Chris Botti, who will be joined by ex-Police frontman Sting, will take the stage at 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

'€œI am looking forward to seeing David Foster, Chris Botti and Sting,'€ Rendy Herrindra, a dentist and regular Java Jazz attendee, said, adding that he saw Sting perform in Jakarta while he was on his 1994 Summoner'€™s Travels World Tour.

Also performing on Saturday is Nigerian vocalist and saxophonist Seun Kuti, the son of legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.

On Saturday, Seun will perform alongside his father'€™s former band, Egypt 80. Performing on the same day is Grammy-winning pop and jazz singer Patti Austin, who will perform with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.

Tickets are still available for Rp 550,000 (US$41) for a daily pass. To attend special shows featuring Thicke, Foster, Botti and Sting, concertgoers have to purchase an additional pass, with prices ranging from Rp 350,000 to Rp 2.5 million.

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