The annual Savannah Music Festival highlights some of the best roots music in America. YNN's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

The sultry squares of Savannah, Georgia will be filled with a symphony of sound for its ninth-annual springtime music festival starting in late March.

Savannah, just a two-hour flight from New York City, provides an early dose of spring, where the canopies of oaks drip with the rhythms of a wide range of musical performances.

The 17-day Savannah Music Festival, running from March 22 through April 7, is Georgia’s largest musical arts event and attracts visitors from the United States and around the world.

Set against a backdrop of one of the South's most soulful cities, where the town plan dates back to the 18th century, one can amble from one concert to the next.

The festival takes advantage of the historic center's various venues, including several houses of worship, each reflective of the style of the music being played.

Fans can choose between 100 performances of world-class jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other genres of American and international roots music.

At least a dozen hotels inside and outside the historic district are participating with special room rates.

For information on single tickets and ticket packages, as well as a schedule of performances, visit www.savannahmusicfestival.org.

Delta flies nonstop to Savannah from LGA and Continental departs from Newark.