The Mingus Big Band perform at the Bellevue Jazz Festival in 2009. Photos by Daniel Sheehan.

By Keegan Prosser

The 5th Annual Bellevue Jazz Festival returns to Downtown Bellevue May 30-June 3 for a week chock full of talented jazz acts.

Produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA) in collaboration with Earshot Jazz Executive Director John Gilbreath, the week-long festivities will feature three headlining shows and more than 40 additional performances by regional artists.

The festival will also feature performances by some of the best school jazz bands from around the Seattle area.

“We’re thrilled to present another impressive lineup this year,” said Leslie Lloyd, the association’s president and festival executive director. “As downtown Bellevue and the Eastside continue to grow, cultivating cultural and entertainment offerings is essential, and we look forward to seeing our fans again this year.”

This year’s festival features headlining shows by the Clayton Brothers Quintet (Friday, June 1), Booker T. Jones (Saturday, June 2) and the Hubert Laws Quintet (Sunday, June 3), all of which will take place at the Theatre at Meydenbauer in Bellevue. Tickets are currently on sale through Brown Paper Tickets (brownpapertickets.com).

Keeping in the tradition of fostering music education, the Bellevue Jazz Festival also has partnered with the KPLU School of Jazz; the school’s Rising Stars ensembles will perform at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 3 at the new Bake’s Place jazz club in downtown Bellevue.

Eastside jazz fans also will have the opportunity to check out sets at variety of restaurants and music venues throughout downtown, many of which are free of charge. See www.bellevuejazz.com.