Special Series

Tradition Fuels the Future: A Conversation with Artistic Director Christian McBride on the Newport Jazz Festival at SeventyTradition Fuels the Future: A Conversation with Artistic Director Christian McBride on the Newport Jazz Festival at Seventy

Tradition Fuels the Future: A Conversation with Artistic Director Christian McBride on the Newport Jazz Festival at Seventy

The Newport Jazz Festival has survived seven decades primarily due to how forward-looking it has been. The event has generally…

9 months ago
Room For It All: Braxton Cook Previews ‘Newport at 70’Room For It All: Braxton Cook Previews ‘Newport at 70’

Room For It All: Braxton Cook Previews ‘Newport at 70’

As the legendary Newport Jazz Festival turns seventy years old, it is all too easy to look back at the…

9 months ago
Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part Two)Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part Two)

Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part Two)

We continue our conversation with NEA Jazz Master Stanley Clarke. You can read part one here. PostGenre: You were one…

9 months ago
Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part One)Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part One)

Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part One)

After first being mass-produced by Fender in the 1950s, the electric bass, for many years, found a home in only…

10 months ago
Fearless: A Conversation with Donny McCaslin on David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the Newport Jazz FestivalFearless: A Conversation with Donny McCaslin on David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the Newport Jazz Festival

Fearless: A Conversation with Donny McCaslin on David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the Newport Jazz Festival

According to a 2015 Nielsen report, “jazz” makes up a paltry 1.3% of total music consumption in the United States.…

10 months ago
Trumpet Evolution: Riley Mulherkar Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader DebutTrumpet Evolution: Riley Mulherkar Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader Debut

Trumpet Evolution: Riley Mulherkar Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader Debut

In his speech to the Royal Academy on April 30, 1953, Winston Churchill remarked, "Without tradition, art is a flock…

10 months ago
Truly Magical Place: Jaleel Shaw Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader DebutTruly Magical Place: Jaleel Shaw Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader Debut

Truly Magical Place: Jaleel Shaw Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader Debut

The Newport Jazz Festival’s history of saxophonists is vast, including heroes like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Ornette Coleman. What…

10 months ago
Prepared Piano with a Brazilian Identity: Amaro Freitas Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz PerformancePrepared Piano with a Brazilian Identity: Amaro Freitas Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Performance

Prepared Piano with a Brazilian Identity: Amaro Freitas Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Performance

Biologist and naturalist E.O. Wilson once noted, "Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook…

10 months ago
At Heart: A Conversation with Fred Wesley on his Incredible Career and a Preview of his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival PerformanceAt Heart: A Conversation with Fred Wesley on his Incredible Career and a Preview of his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Performance

At Heart: A Conversation with Fred Wesley on his Incredible Career and a Preview of his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Performance

There are few people funkier than Fred Wesley. As James Brown increasingly turned from Soul Brother Number One into the…

10 months ago
In Its Own Backyard: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Foundation’s Music Education Manager Leland Baker on his Role and SUNDAY JAZZIn Its Own Backyard: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Foundation’s Music Education Manager Leland Baker on his Role and SUNDAY JAZZ

In Its Own Backyard: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Foundation’s Music Education Manager Leland Baker on his Role and SUNDAY JAZZ

It is all too easy for a misguided person to view the Newport Festivals as events that attempt to be…

10 months ago