Newport Jazz Festival

Toward the Infinite: Anoushka Shankar on Creativity, Spirituality, and Sound Worlds at Newport

The first sitarist to perform as a leader at the Newport Jazz Festival reflects on thirty years of musical exploration,…

4 days ago

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

Paul Horton and Greg Bryant discuss music, memory, and community as Indivisible transforms the story of Nashville’s Jefferson Street into…

2 weeks ago

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

The legendary drummer reflects on nearly eight decades of rhythm, lifelong curiosity, and his long-awaited Newport Jazz Festival debut as…

3 weeks ago

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

Rick Anderson reflects on his mother Elaine’s role in Duke Ellington’s legendary 1956 Newport performance and the human story behind…

3 weeks ago

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VI: Electric Aquidneck Experiment, 1969

At the time of the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954, there were two primary ways to enter the city…

6 years ago

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968

Despite its rough shape, the new site was at a fantastic location. Near the JT Connell Highway, it had sufficient…

6 years ago

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IV: Revival, 1961-1964

Following the riots of the prior summer, there was no Newport Jazz Festival in 1961. However, the city had not…

6 years ago

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter II: Diminuendo and Crescendo, 1956

The 1956 Newport Jazz Festival’s schedule was adjusted slightly compared to the prior two outings. While still a three-day event…

6 years ago

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter I: A New Tradition, 1954-1955

By 9:18 PM on the evening of July 17, 1954, Eddie Condon’s tribute to Dixieland finally began its delayed performance.…

6 years ago

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Prologue: Born in Storyville, 1950-1954

In September of 1950, twenty-four-year-old George Wein used his college savings to open a nightclub, Storyville, at Boston’s Copley Square…

6 years ago