There are few people funkier than Fred Wesley. As James Brown increasingly turned from Soul Brother Number One into the Godfather of Funk, Fred was there. Heck, he was even Brown’s bandleader, not once but twice, each with very different bands. The earlier incarnation grooved hard and released powerful songs like “Say It Loud (I’m […]
It is all too easy for a misguided person to view the Newport Festivals as events that attempt to be isolated from the outside world to some degree. The Festivals occur in a city many see as the backyard of the rich and powerful because of its summer cottages. The Jazz Festival was also co-founded […]
Music has a unique ability to unite humanity. As Ella Fitzgerald once noted, “Music is the universal language…. it brings people together.” This power is particularly evident when artists are willing to take inspiration from diverse sources. An openness to different ideas, regardless of where they derive, permits the creation of something more substantive than […]
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival’s founding in 1954. But the history is not as linear as it may seem. One can divide the seven decades into five different eras. Yet, as a lifelong Newporter like Ron Cudworth can attest, there is still a throughline between them all. He’s seen […]
There is something special about a live recording compared to one edited in the studio. An increased openness to risk and chance creates a palpable energy that is difficult to recreate in a more controlled setting. This is particularly true for improvised music, where art is crafted in a fleeting moment. A great example can […]
From where does music derive? Some would argue the artist is the sole cause of their own creations. But, to many, music comes from somewhere supreme and flows through them. Hence, Sonny Rollins’ statements that he is simply a conduit to a higher power. Or William Parker’s that “No individual invented any music; we just […]
As an art form, weaving requires different threads to combine into one to create a sturdier whole cloth. How the threads are combined affects the characteristics of the end product. It is appropriate that cellist Janel Leppin is also a weaver by trade, as one can hear a direct application of the concepts from her […]
Self-expression lies at the heart of all art. Creation that fails to reflect the artist’s spirit will never be able to connect with an audience perceiving it. As a result, dreams, hopes, and fears are all poured into the best art. But while every person has their own ideas and preferences, they do not exist […]
Albert Einstein once remarked, “Art is standing with one hand extended into the universe and one hand extended into the world, and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy.” This perspective rings true regardless of the particular format taken by such art. However, a specific magic can emerge when two or more art forms […]
Great artists have honed a sound that is identifiable regardless of the environment surrounding them. The truly brilliant, however, are not satisfied with a mere voice. Instead, they create their own language entirely. This is best seen with Ornette Coleman and the invention of Harmolodics, a system that frees musical compositions from needing a tonal […]
