David Beckett reports from the 70th anniversary Newport Jazz Festival, held at Fort Adams State Park, Rhode Island US, 2 to 4 August.
Asked to name a Jazz Festival, most people – even people with no interest in Jazz – would probably answer “The Newport Jazz Festival”. Documented on film, immortalized on recordings and firmly settled in the public imagination, this yearly gathering turns 70 this Summer.
When in recent years I’ve travelled to this Jazz Festival, I’ve always been delighted by the scenery. Driving in means spending a few minutes in traffic, but the journey through the town of Newport Rhode Island is always dazzling. The 200 foot long, 3 masted Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry seems to keep watch on the site of the festivities, and sailboats surround the festival, held at the lovely Fort Adams State Park.
The scale of the festival, would certainly surprise a first -time visitor and is still a thing of wonder to regulars: given the caliber of the performers who appear, it always feels very intimate,
To attend any Jazz Festival these days is to be in the middle of a conversation about what Jazz is. Some want what they consider to be the real article, while others look forward to music which stretches the boundaries. Newport is no stranger to these conversations, having famously presented Chuck Berry in 1958. Keith Richards was said to be so inspired by that performance – featured in the concert film “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” – that he decided to become a musician. Music is funny that way… genres can be corralled, but there’ll always be a kid with an ear to the fence.
100 year old Marshall Allen has been leading the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1995, but was absent from their 12:30 set on Friday. They played an energetic set including “Stranger in Paradise” from the musical “Kismet” as well as “Angels and Demons at Play” by Sun Ra himself. Saxophonist Knoel Scott led the band, played passionately and even took a tumbling pass (as in photo), cartwheeling from stage left to stage right in front of the band. Seeing elders (Mr Scott and I are both 68) having this much fun is one of live music’s great pleasures.
The poet Aja Monet performed powerfully with a Jazz ensemble and reminded us Langston Hughes had appeared at the festival on two occasions – and that this day was James Baldwin’s 100th birthday. Pianist Kenny Barron, guitarist Bill Frisell and concert harp player Brandee Younger delivered terrific sets as well. This made a full day of music for me, but the festival presents music on 3 stages so I merely heard about the performances by Brittany Howard, Irma Thomas and Galactic, Cory Wong, and others.
Saturday was similarly rewarding: Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane joined two members of Wayne Shorter’s time-stopping late quartet – bassist John Patitucci and pianist Danilo Perez – in celebrating the legacy of composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Their lighter-than-air versions of Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” and “Miyako” were festival highlights.
Clarinet player Anat Cohen led her Quartetinho through a set of originals and Brazilian classics. Each member played two instruments, and watching vibraphonist/drummer James Shipp, guitarist/double bassist Tal Mashiach and Pianist/accordionist Vitor Gonçalves bring their music – and pieces by A.C. Jobim and Egberto Gismonti – to life was breathtaking. This is how it’s done: Make music that makes you laugh with glee and the audience can’t help but feel it. I’m still grinning from this one. Similarly, singer Samara Joy and her whip-smart octet drew a huge, enthusiastic crowd to the largest of the 3 stages and showed why she deserves the awards she’s enjoyed so far. She’s 24 and deserves all the fuss being made about her now.
The charming and remarkable young singer and multi instrumentalist Laufey has recently brought many new young women to Jazz, and on the last day of the festival many of them came on Sunday to see their idol and sing along with her. Boys in “Real Men Listen To Laufey” tee shirts came too, and drawing this demographic seems a win for the festival.
Other memorable performances on the last day of the festival were by the astonishing young Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas and the Cuban funk sensation Cimafunk who nearly blew the tent right off the Quad stage. I was very disappointed to have to miss the last part of Christian McBride’s “Jam Jawn” featuring a very unusual collection of hand picked friends who assembled to play some Soul Jazz classics. But knowing that Mr McBride is the festival’s artistic director – and will remain so I suspect – made the trip home bearable, because we have next year’s edition to look forward to.
David Beckett is a Vermont-based jazz writer and broadcaster. We sincerely welcome his first contribution to UKJN
