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The Newport Jazz Festival’s history of saxophonists is vast, including heroes like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Ornette Coleman. What are less discussed are the incredible sidemen at the event over the years. Often, recognition comes only to those who lead their own groups at the Festival. One could argue an exception exists in Paul Gonsalves’ twenty-seven chorus solo in 1956 however, even there, the emphasis is generally more on his bandleader, Duke Ellington. There is something special about being asked to perform as a leader at one of the world’s greatest music festivals; to have your own ideas given such regard they are afforded a major platform. Few understand this better than altoist Jaleel Shaw. From supporting legends like Roy Haynes and Dave Holland to representing the young artist powerhouse The Jazz Gallery All-Stars, Shaw has been omnipresent at Newport over the past two decades. One of the best saxophonists of his generation, Shaw will finally lead his own quartet at Newport with pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Joe Dyson, Jr. on Friday, August 2, 2024.

We sat down with Philly-raised Shaw to discuss the quartet, their forthcoming record, his prior experiences at Newport, and more.

PostGenre: You indicated you were mixing your new album today. What can you tell me about it?

Jaleel Shaw: The album is hopefully coming out in early November. I have Lawrence Fields on piano, Joe Dyson on drums, and Ben Street on bass. But I’m still trying to figure out the guests on tracks. I have Lage Lund on one, and Sasha Berliner on another track. I’m still trying to figure things out because I recorded a lot of music. I’m trying to figure out how to navigate who will be on the album. 

PG: But it sounds like the core of that group is you, Lawrence, and Joe, which – switching out Ben for Dezron Douglas – is the group you will present at Newport. 

JS: Yeah, but Dezron has really been a part of the band, too. He’s been doing a lot of gigs with us lately.

PG: Will the Newport performance be all original compositions?

JS: It’s going to be all originals from the upcoming album. 

PG: You have performed at Newport many times as a sideman over the years. What does it mean for you to finally be playing there as a leader? 

JS: It’s amazing. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve played there with so many different groups. I first played there with the Mingus Big Band. After that, I was there twice with Roy [Haynes]. Last year, I was with Dave [Holland]. One year, I was with The Jazz Gallery All-Stars. Another year, I played with Louis Cole’s big band. And another time I was with Nate Smith. I’ve done all those groups. It is incredible for me to be there – one of my favorite festivals- as a leader. I’m very thankful for that. Oh, yeah. I also played there with DJ Logic[‘s Project Logic] one year. Man. I have played Newport a lot, now I think about it. 

PG: You probably knew about Newport long before you played there for the first time. Do you remember the first time you ever learned about it? 

JS: I think I first learned about Newport from the Duke Ellington recording [Ellington at Newport (Columbia, 1956)]. 

After that, though, [John] Coltrane’s Newport ‘63 (Impulse!, 1963) with Roy Haynes is one of my favorite recordings ever. Roy used to talk about playing with Trane. And one day, I started looking up recordings of him playing with Trane. After I found that one, it became one of my favorite Trane recordings. 

PG: Was it surreal playing with Roy, knowing how many legendary saxophonists he had played with during his career, and now you were playing with him?

JS: Yeah, I’ve thought about how many important saxophonists Roy has played with, whether Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Trane, Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson, or Kenny Garrett. Roy has played with everyone. 

I did a Charlie Parker tribute gig with him at The Jazz Showcase. I’ll never forget it. We were playing mostly Charlie Parker tunes, and I turned around to see a big poster of Bird on the wall behind Roy. And it’s like “Oh man.” Seeing that poster behind him put everything into perspective. 

PG: What do you feel you learned the most from working with Roy? 

JS: I would say I learned the importance of being in the moment. Roy stressed the importance of always being in the moment. The significance of listening to each other and not being concerned with time or anything like that. Roy was always about embracing the moment. I remember one of my first gigs with Roy he asked me why I was taking short solos. He wanted me to go really big.

PG: And related to incredible saxophonists, at some point, you also worked with Grover Washington, Jr. What was that experience like? 

JS: It was amazing. He was a huge role model for a lot of people in Philly. He was very supportive and encouraging. And not only that but just as a saxophonist, he was very inspiring. I feel like his sound on the saxophone transcended genres. He may be known for playing a specific style, but he had a very distinct and influential sound that greatly inspired me.  I’m truly a student of how he approached the saxophones from his heart and soul. He was a beautiful human being. He was also very encouraging and inspiring, and you could hear that through his horn. 

But there are a lot of great people in Philadelphia that were like that for me. John Blake, Jr. – Johnathan Blake’s dad – was also very inspirational to me. So was the great organist Shirley Scott. Also, Sid Simmons, who also played with Grover. And my teachers – Rayburn Wright and Lovett Hines, especially. I was lucky to have some amazing educators in Philly. Rayburn Wright has passed away, but I still speak to Mr. Hines almost daily. 

PG: It seems Hines has had many incredible students. [Christian] McBride studied with him too. 

JS: Just about everyone that’s come out of Philly has come through Mr. Hines. 

PG: Going back to Newport, do you have any favorite memories of your times there?

JS: From Newport. Oh, man. Newport is also always a great hang backstage. I always look forward to seeing musicians I haven’t seen in a long time and catching up with them. 

But the second time I played at Newport twice with him- stands out. It was also with the great Ron Carter. That was a very, very special moment for me to get to play with those two masters. The performance I did last year with Dave was very special to me, too.  Those two performances were highlights for me, but honestly, everyone I have played with there has been great, from the Mingus Big Band to The Jazz Gallery All-Stars. Newport is just a truly magical place. 

PG: The Jazz Gallery All-Stars set was for the 2021 Festival, which took many COVID-related precautions, including a half-size audience. Was it a strange experience to play that year in light of the pandemic?

JS: For me, it was a little strange only because I wasn’t going out much at the time. Before that gig, we played in Detroit. That trip to Detroit was the first time I even got on a plane since the pandemic started. I remember trying to be extra careful at the time. 

PG: But the pandemic also provided you an opportunity to create your excellent solo saxophone record, Echoes (self-release, 2021). Do you feel that recording a solo album has influenced how you perform with others, as with your quartet? 

JS: No. I’ve been listening to solo albums for a long time and have always wanted to make a solo record. I feel like that’s just part of who I am. If anything, I feel my solo project may have made me more aware of my ideas, being creative,  and taking chances. The experience made me less afraid to take chances because there’s no place to hide. It’s kind of risky. I wasn’t concerned with who would like it. I wasn’t concerned with whether I was going to get any gigs because of it. I was just at home and wanted to express what I was feeling. I wasn’t even sure that I was going to release it. But after listening to it, I decided to.

PG: As a concluding thought on Newport, how do you feel the Festival has changed the most over the years you have gone? 

JS: Though it has changed, in many ways, it has remained the same as well, I feel like they’re opening up the venue’s doors to so many new artists. Some people are not as popular as others. They’re giving their audience a taste of everything that’s going on, not only in the States but around the world, as well. I feel as though they’re opening up to different styles and different perspectives of this music. I think that’s beautiful. 

Catch Jaleel Shaw at the Newport Jazz Festival on Friday, August 2, 2024. More information on the Festival can be found here. We will be providing live coverage of the event. You can read more about Jaleel Shaw on his website.