To this end, the festival showcases many different sub-genres of jazz, played by international stars as well as emerging local musicians.
Notable acts of previous years include Dianne Reeves, Billy Childs, Donny McCaslin, Jacob Collier, Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, Moon Hooch, Chris Botti, Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFarren, Esperanza Spalding, Tommy Banks and P. J. Perry.
Regular venues include the Winspear Centre, the Yardbird Suite, Triffo Theatre, Varscona Theatre, Starlite Room, Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre, and Bellamy's Lounge at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel.
The festival began in 2005, when local musicians and business owners teamed up with the Edmonton Jazz Society (the organization that manages the Yardbird Suite) to produce the 60-event Yardbird Jazz Festival, which sought to promote Edmonton's vibrant jazz scene, as well as to offer young people the chance to learn from experienced musicians in a workshop setting.
In 2006, the newly formed Edmonton Jazz Festival Society sought financial aid from the Edmonton Arts Council and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and local business to present the next instalment of the festival.