Jazz giants Wayne Shorter and Chucho Valdés are some of the hot tickets in the Panama Jazz Festival 2009, set for Jan. 12-17.

Panamanian pianist Danilo Pérez, the festival's organizer, said he expects as many as 16,000 fans to attend, according to news agency EFE.

U.S. musician Shorter blew saxophone with such jazz greats as Art Blakey and Miles Davis, and later developed fusion with Weather Report.

Shorter is “a musical genius” and “out of this world,” said Pérez, a member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet.

The pianist Valdés, son of exiled Cuban piano star Bebo Valdés, has made a name for himself as a fast-fingered Afro-Cuban jazzman. Father and son have recently been known to perform, grand-to-grand, in powerful 10-finger duets.

“Be proud of this event,” Pérez said, according to EFE. “This time you have Shorter and Valdés. Don't ask me for more. Don't ask for God because I can't bring him.”

Jazz fans can check out the Web site, www.panamajazzfestival.com, for more information.

Newswire EFE contributed to this report.