Newport Jazz Festival 2017 Features Terrific Line-Up, August 4-6, 2017, Newport, Rhode Island

    

 Newport Jazz Festival 2017, August 4-6, 2017, Newport, Rhode Island.

 For more information, visit: www.newportjazz.org

By E. Joyce Glasgow

The Newport Jazz Festival 2017 has an incredible line up of some of the greatest musicians and jazz groups performing today, in a wonderful variety of styles and configurations.

The three- day festival is held at Fort Adams, Newport, R.I., with a yearly Friday evening concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in Newport, and the Fort is a very pleasant and easily navigable location, right on the water, with beautiful views of the sail boats drifting by.

The four stages are fairly close together and all have chairs. One stage is indoors, featuring more intimate performances, including solo piano and small ensembles. At the largest stage, most bring and set up their own chairs, as the provided chairs there are for a larger cost.

There are numerous artisans’ booths featuring jewelry, clothing, and hats, and some food booths.

The timing each day is very relaxing, manageable and leisurely and performances run from 11 AM-6 PM, with nice, full length sets, leaving the evenings to explore all the restaurants and sights around downtown Newport and enjoy a lovely, early dinner near the water, and still get a good night’s sleep.

The sound systems at all the stages are crystal clear and well balanced enabling great enjoyment of the music and all the instruments. This important attention to details of sound is impressive and very worthy of mention.

This historic jazz festival attracts crowds from every age range, from jazz new-comers, and students, to seasoned jazz listeners and musicians.

 Friday, August 4, 2017, at Fort Adams:

Bella Fleck and the Flecktones; Maceo Parker; Cecile McLorin Salvant, Naturally 7, Leslie Odom, Jr., Joey De Francesco and The People; Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith; Amir ElSaffar’s River of Sound Orchestra; Christian Sands Quartet; One For All; Evan Christopher Clarinet Road and New Orleans Brass; Rodriguez Brothers; Jimmy Green Quartet; George Burton Quartet; and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Workshop Ensemble

Watch Cecile McLorin Salvant here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5MGpLjHskI

Watch Bella Fleck and the Flecktones here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0DL5qgDJQ4

Friday evening August 4, 2017, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame:
 Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue; and Rhiannon Giddens

Watch Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNVQ4mJoQug

Saturday, August 5, 2017, at Fort Adams:

Snarky Puppy; Branford Marsalis Quartet; Rhiannon Giddens; Christian McBride Big Band; Flying Toward The Sound: For Geri, With Love (tribute to Geri Allen); Jazz 100: Music of Dizzy, Mongo and Monk; Henry Threadgill Zooid; Vijay Iyer Sextet; Antonio Sanchez and Migration; DJ Logic’s Project Logic; Benny Golson Quartet; Uri Caine Trio; Dominick Farinacci; Gilad Hekselman; JoAnne Brackeen; David Torkanowksy; Peter Evans; Jason Palmer’s Berklee Septet; David Leon; and the Rhode Island Music Education Association Sr. All-State jazz Ensemble

Watch the Christian McBride Big Band here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsrJCrJPoT0

Watch Antonio Sanchez and Migration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baMNIzK7bWg

Sunday, August 6, 2017, at Fort Adams:

The Roots; Andra Day; Maria Schneider Orchestra; Hudson; Philadelphia Experiment; Jason Moran: Fats Waller Dance Party; Tim Berne’s Snakeoil; Bokante; Theo Croker; Cyrus Chestnut Trio; Sean Jones Quintet; Cyrille Aimee; Vernon Reid; John Medeski; Marilyn Crispell; Orrin Evans; The University of Rhode Island Big Band; Newport Jazz Assembly Band; and the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-Star Jazz Band

Watch the Maria Schneider Orchestra here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOi2s3gX584

Watch Andra Day here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwgr_IMeEgA