Newport Jazz Festival History

Finding the Strange Heavens: Linda May Han Oh on Improvisation, Hope, and Community at the 2026 Newport Jazz Festival

With only a few clicks or taps, we can find out about pretty much everything in the known world. We…

4 hours ago

Leaving Space: Marquis Hill on Artistic Lineage and his 2026 Newport Jazz Performance

Over the last few decades, several musicians have explored the rich intersection of jazz with R&B and hip hop. Some…

1 day ago

The Dey Way: Mohini Dey on Family, Evolution, and Leading at the 2026 Newport Jazz Festival

In 1966, at the height of his fame, George Harrison traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment. He met…

4 days ago

Indivisible: Paul Horton and Greg Bryant on Concurrence at the 2026 Newport Jazz Festival

With a lineup full of long-established masters and viral sensations, it is easy to overlook some of the 2026 Newport…

7 days ago

Where Spirit Meets Groove: NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington Previews her 2026 Newport Jazz Performance and New Album

Whether it is Billie Holiday singing of the strange fruit of the lynched hanging from trees or John Coltrane’s solemn…

1 week ago

Minimalist Funk Mantras: Charlie Hunter and Ella Feingold Preview their 2026 Newport Jazz Festival Performance

When most “Everyday People” think of funk, they perceive it in a maximalist sense. They soundtrack diaper-clad spacemen tearing the…

2 weeks ago

Never Stop Grooving: Bernard “Pretty” Purdie Previews his Newport Jazz Leader Debut

In a recording studio sat a drummer behind his kit with two signs hanging nearby. One read “You done it.”…

2 weeks ago

Beyond the Myth: Rick Anderson on His Mother’s Dance That Fueled Ellington’s Rebirth at Newport ‘56

1956. In the popular consciousness, the grandeur of swing era big bands had ceded to the vibrant electric spark of…

2 weeks ago

Keeping the Tradition Contemporary: Christian McBride on his Big Band and the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival

At the 1991 Newport Jazz Festival, an octet of young artists took the stage. Operating under the name “the Jazz…

12 months ago

Touching the Continuum: Sebastian Rios Previews New Jazz Underground at Newport

As nonsensical as it may seem in the abstract, sometimes ideological wars are a necessary step towards a renewed and…

12 months ago