The TD P.E.I. Jazz and Blues Festival kicks off Wednesday and this year's theme is 100 per cent East Coast musicians.

With four days and 21 shows, the event offers Islanders opportunities to enjoy a variety of acts.

Jim Power, the chair of the festival's committee, said the decision to go with a lineup made of entirely East Coast musicians wasn't planned.

"We decided to go into this direction at the last minute," he said in an interview with CBC's Mainstreet. "We pulled it off and we are very proud of it."

Power said the event, which used to be in August, was moved to line up better with jazz festival season, which is between mid-June and mid-July.

He also said that next year he hopes to move the event even closer to Canada Day.

There will be free shows from 1 to 11 p.m. on Victoria Row on Saturday, June 24.

Beginning at 1 p.m., school and community bands will have the opportunity to entertain the crowds. They will be followed by five acts beginning with the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble (4:45 to 6 p.m.) and finishing the night off with Reeny Smith (10:05 to11 p.m.).

The festival has been a labour of love for Power, and something he believes in.

"It's a worthy event," he said. "You're really going to be proud and really going to be impressed."