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"I wish I could share all the love that's in my heart /

Remove all the bars that keep us apart /

I wish you knew how it would feel to be me /

Then you'd see and agree everyone should be free."

- I Wish I Knew by Derek Trucks

We are now long past the need for the best-ever hyperbole.

When you are this established, and this good, every year brings new heights.

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival has steadily moved into world-class festival status from its grassroots beginnings in 1990.

It is not at all a stretch to see a link between The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival's great rise and our brilliantly bursting music scene today. When the festival was dawning, the scene was far smaller. That's no fluke.

Think back to our hosting of the East Coast Music Awards in February. Locals starred on stage and at the awards podium. Such a thing could not have been even imagined when Harvest started.

As a major part of the city's annual lifeblood, the second full week of September is a schedule maker for many. We are now in the position of simply expecting another stellar lineup - a blend of famous first appearances, the return of old faves and lots of new names.

That said, it is hard for me not to say that the 18th Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, set for Sept. 9-14, is the most exciting lineup yet at this early stage.

There is literally everything under the sun for fans of jazz and blues -complete with the neat new extensions to the programming that this decade has seen.

As the festival's artistic director, Brent Staeben excitedly told me this information.

"As the festival has grown in the last couple years, we've been investing more in programming so that we get access the widest array of talent available for our audiences," he said. "It's our commitment to the community and to our audiences. They're supporting us and we're going to go after bigger and more interesting talent to create the most unique experience we can, while keeping that welcoming community feel.

"No matter the acts, that won't change."

The proof is in the pudding.

This year's program is a great mix of blues. There is the classic work of a world-renowned superstar of the past few decades in Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy, coupled with an exciting new young name like The Netherlands' Ana Popovic.

There are acoustic acts like New York's blues folk troubadour Eric Bibb, and the soulful blues of London's Sarah Jane Morris.

There are big jazz names, too. Landing the cutting edge jazz/funk/blues artist Charlie Hunter of New Jersey is a huge coup.

Toronto's vocal jazz star Emilie Claire Barlow is hot off the heels of just winning the National Jazz Award for Female Jazz Vocalist, and Toronto-based Latin jazz star Hilario Duran, originally from Havana, are already in the mix for 2008.

Gospel is nicely represented by gospel/blues/soul legend Jackie Richardson of Toronto.

The festival has also carved a nice niche in the jam band scene in recent years. Little Feat started it in 2005, and last year Gov't Mule raised the stakes.

That momentum keeps going this year with last month's major announcement that the Derek Trucks Band will be a Thursday night headliner.

Staeben also highlighted another neat facet to this year's festival.

"There's the largest international mix ever this year, too, with six acts playing major roles in the festival coming here from points overseas - three from the U.K., one from Paris, one from Amsterdam and one from Jerusalem.

"We've only ever had one at most from overseas, ever."

So, it is not just me. The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival is actually growing in every sense of the word.

It offers, in Staeben's words, "big-name talent, but very special talent - not mainstream, but still with huge fan bases."

Keep in mind, of course, that there are still other acts to be announced, too.

Mark Sept. 9-14 in your calendar now.

Longtime Daily Gleaner columnist Wilfred Langmaid is employed by the University of New Brunswick. He resides in Fredericton.