Through My Lens: Newport Jazz Festival 2016

Angélique Kidjo 

My camera and I spent some time out at the Newport Jazz Festival which took place July 29 - 31. As with the previous week of festival festivities, the weather and music were hot, it thankfully wasn't as dusty as the previous weekend but, I did once again have fun with my pals in the pit. This is what it looked like through my lens.  

Sunday highlights: Lizz Wright, Kamasi Washington and Angélique Kidjo.

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Jose James

Kamasi Washington

Lizz Wright

Lionel Loueke of Potter, Holland, Loueke and Harland

Casey Benjamin of the Robert Glasper Experiment

Click HERE for more photos or the slide shows below.

Through My Lens: Newport Folk Festival 2016

Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes

Last weekend, July 22 - 24, I was out at Fort Adams in scenic Newport, RI to catch the annual Newport Folk Festival.  It was hot…weather wise and music wish, I came home visually filthy at the end of each day and had lots of fun with my pals in the pit.  This is what it looked like through my lens.

Friday highlights: The Staves, Raury, Matthew Logan Vasquez and Violent Femmes. 

Saturday highlights: Banditos, Ruby Amanfu, Margo Price, Kris Kristofferson doing "Bobby McGee" with Texas Gentlemen & joined by Margo Price, Del & Dawg and Patti Smith.

Sunday highlights: Ian Fitzgerald, Berklee Gospel & Roots Choir, Son Little, Middle Brother, Phil Cook who was joined by The Blind Boys of Alabama and Alabama Shakes.

Friday

k.d. lang

Matthew Logan Vasquez

Raury

Dan Auerbach of The Arcs

The Staves

Violent Femmes

Saturday

Ruby Amanfu

Amy Helm

Banditos

Graham Nash

Margo Price

Patti Smith

Father John Misty

Del & Dawg

Sunday

Elvis Costello

Ian Fitzgerald

Son Little

Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Click HERE for more photos or the slide shows below.

International Jazz Day Photo Review: Danilo Perez Performance & Master Class

This past Thursday, April 30, was International Jazz Day.  Newport Festivals Foundation and Salve Regina University presented a free performance for local elementary students and a master class for high school student jazz combos with pianist Danilo Perez & The Berklee Global Jazz Institute at the Casino Theatre in Newport, RI.  This is what it looked like.

Flashback: Newport Jazz Festival 2014

Winter has been taking a leisurely stroll here on the East Coast.  Folks have been counting down to the days until Spring shows up.  To give us some warm thoughts, we're going to flashback to last summer when we spent time roaming around the Newport Jazz Festival.  The reminiscing has gotten us excited for the 2015 Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management; tickets are on-sale now.  **And, by the way, $55 flex tickets are still available until March 1…can't beat that price! You should hurry though. After March 1st, they will be the regular price of $74.  But, while we wait for all of the great music that will take place July 31 - August 2, this is what last year looked like.

Friday, August 1

Fort Adams State Park

Fort Stage

Jon Batiste & Stay Human (more photos HERE)

Miguel Zenon & The "Identities" Big Band (more photos HERE)

Cecile McLorin Salvant (more photos HERE)

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society (more photos HERE)

What You May Have Missed: Sophie Auster at Mercury Lounge

Sophie Auster: June 24, 2013 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY   

I caught Sophie Auster down at Mercury Lounge last week.  Her record, Red Weather, came out November 2012.  Check her out if you get the chance.  

For those who haven't had the chance to check out Auster, check out her video for "Run Run Run" below.

Newport Jazz Festival: Through My Lens, Sunday, August 5

Newport Jazz Festival, Sunday, August 5 at Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI 

 
We have for you today, a photographic review from the final day of this years Newport Jazz Festival.  The complete photo collection can be seen HERE.

Fort Stage

I missed the first act on the main stage so my first visit to the stage was to catch some of Ryan Truesdell's Gill Evans Centennial Project.  More photos HERE.

Ryan Truesdell

Up next, jazzy siblings the 3 Cohens: Yuval, Anat & Avishai.  Their closing number "Shufla De Shufla" was a highlight for me. More photos HERE.

Yuval, Avishai & Anat Cohen

They were followed by the Maria Schneider Orchestra.  More photos HERE.

Maria Schneider

Closing out the day was the Tedeschi Trucks Band.  This was the set I most looked forward to and my favorite set of the day.  They tossed a little Sly & The Family Stone in the mix as well as a nice rendition of "Wade In The Water." While some of the more traditional jazz fans may not have found them their cup of tea, there were a fair share of people who couldn't get enough of the band.  More photos HERE.

Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi

Quad Stage

Kicking off the day on the Quad stage was the Lewis Nash Quintet.  More photos HERE.

Lewis Nash

Up next was Kurt Elling.  I ran into more than a few people who were gushing about how much they enjoy Elling and couldn't wait for his set to start.  The previous weekend I witnessed people swooning over Gary Clark, Jr.  On this day, I witnessed people swooning over Elling.  More photos HERE.

Kurt Elling

My final trip to the Quad was to take in the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet.  I'm not a trumpet fan but gosh darnit, I dug Akinmusire's set.  More photos HERE.

Ambrose Akinmusire

Harbor Stage

I only made it around to the Harbor stage to catch one act, Jenny Scheinman & Bill Frisell.  More photos HERE.

Jenny Scheinman & Bill Frisell

The Audience

More photos HERE.

Fans enjoying the festival.

Fan hula hooping while enjoying the music.

Fan enjoying the Tedeschi Trucks Band

It was a great weekend of music and I enjoyed myself even if the heat, while less than it had been the previous week, did me in.  Until next time.