For all the groundbreaking work he has done and continues to do, Wein received the Gold Medal Award from Joan Anton Cararach, Artistic Director of the Voll-Damm Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona. Cararach called Newport “the Granddaddy of all festivals.” In response, Wein thanked Cararach for the award and told the audience, “You don’t know hospitality until you go to the Barcelona Jazz Festival!”  

This year, the Newport Jazz Festival was host to a mixture of established artists and newcomers, including Pedrito Martinez Group, Ambrose Akinmusire, James Carter Organ Trio with Rodney Jones, Dafnis Prieto Sextet, Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas Quintet, Lewis Nash Quintet, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Samdhi, Miguel Zenón Rayuela Quartet, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon, and John Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quintet + 1. Esteemed drummer Jack DeJohnette, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, played with guitarist David Fiuczynski, keyboardist George Colligan, bass guitarist Jerome Harris, and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, in the Jack DeJohnette Group. His second show was the Jack DeJohnette All-Stars Plus Duo Interlude with pianist Jason Moran, saxophonist Tim Ries, trumpeter Jason Palmer, guitarist Lionel Loueke, keyboardist George Colligan, bassist Christian McBride, and percussionist Luisto Quintero. 

Every festival has its own special feeling and flavor, and Newport Harbor, with the salty tang in the air, is a big part of the ambiance and character of this festival. Many boating enthusiasts travel to Newport just for the festival. The Beer Pier sits at the mouth of the harbor, but it is something of a misnomer, as it also features wine tastings and food. Many people sat with their feet dangling off the edge of the pier, enjoying the breezes and watching the sailboats and yachts, while still being able to hear the music on the nearby Fort Stage. 

Friday, August 3

On Friday, August 3, the festival started in the evening at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino with a hot set by Dr. John & The Lower 911. The venerable Preservation Hall Jazz Band rounded out the first-night show in grand New Orleans style. 

Saturday, August 4

John Ellis and Double-Wide. Saturday had perfect festival weather – sunny and warm, and just when it threatened to feel too hot, a breeze from Newport Harbor would blow over the crowd. John Ellis and Double-Wide opened the Saturday line-up. Double-Wide features an unusual combination of instruments, with Ellis on saxophone, Jason Marsalis on drums, Gary Versace on organ and accordion, Matt Perrine on  sousaphone, and Alan Ferber on trombone. The group displayed their unique jazz sound on songs like “Okra and Tomatoes,” “Three-Legged Tango in Jackson Square,” “Dublinland Carnival,” and “This Too Shall Pass.” 

Christian McBride and Inside Straight. Christian McBride and Inside Straight had fans packed in so tightly at the Harbor Stage that festival security had to keep moving people out of the pathway beside the stage. The area around this stage, which is a distance from the water, was hotter than the main Fort Stage. McBride joked, “I’m probably the only fool here with a long-sleeved shirt on.” However, he reminded the crowd that it was all relative. The group recently returned from Israel, and he said you haven’t felt heat until you’ve been there, where it was 115° at gig time! Explaining how the group was formed, McBride reported that heard vibraphonist Warren Wolf some time ago, and told the audience that he had never heard anyone play vibraphones with such fire. McBride told Wolf that he didn’t need a vibraphonist right then, but one day he was going to form a group to use him, and that’s how Inside Straight was started. With able assistance from Steve Wilson on saxophone, Peter Martin on piano, and Ulysses Owens, Jr. on drums, Inside Straight played an exhilarating set that included “Theme for Kareem,” “Star Beam,” and “Celestial Chant.”  

Bill Frisell Plays John Lennon. Guitarist Bill Frisell was one of the busiest people at the festival, playing a number of different sets on both Saturday and Sunday, including The Bad Plus with Bill Frisell and the Jenny Scheinman and Bill Frisell duo set. In his tribute to John Lennon, Frisell was joined by Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Kenny Wollensen on drums, Tony Scherr on bass, and Jenny Scheinman on violin. They did a rendition of “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” with a country vibe, and a glorious version of “In My Life” with some beautiful violin riffs. The set also included “Come Together,” “Beautiful Boy,” “Strawberry Fields,” and “Across the Universe.” Frisell’s take on some of the songs was mellow and laid-back, a perfect complement to the atmosphere of the festival. 

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society. Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece band, Secret Society, started out with a tribute to his mentor, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, then spent the rest of the set playing pieces from Brooklyn Babylon, a project that Argue collaborated on with visual artist Danijel Zezelj. The recently recorded CD will be coming out in 2013, and it was inspired by the story of a master carpenter named Zev, who had a crisis of faith while doing a commissioned carousel to top an immense tower in the heart of Brooklyn. The music was sometimes somber and moody, and at other times intense and percussive, reflecting the uncertainty and chaos caused by the changes in the neighborhood during the construction. The band also played “Zeno,” a song about time paradoxes, and for a well-deserved encore, they performed “Transit,” featuring Ingrid Jensen on trumpet. Darcy James Argue was joined by the following group of talented musicians: on winds, Erica vonKleist, Rob Wilkerson, Sam Sadigursky, John Ellis, and Josh Sinton; on trumpets, Seneca Black, Tom Goehring, Matt Holman, and Nadje Noordhuis; on trombones, Mike Fahie, Marshall Gilkes, James Hirschfeld, and Jennifer Wharton; Sebastian Noelle on guitar; Gordon Webster on piano, electric piano, and melodica; Matt Clohesy on bass; and Jon Wikan on drums.  

Dianne Reeves. Dianne Reeves’ unmistakable and supple voice soared on “Twelfth of Never.” Then, in an exquisite improvisation, she sang her hello to the audience and the introduction of her band. She did an unusual version of “Stormy Weather,” and it was a lovely update to the classic standard. Reeves dedicated her song, “Nine” to Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas, whom she said took her back to her childhood, a place of innocence and imagination. Dianne was inspired by Gabby’s Olympic achievement, and said, “You have to imagine it before you can do it, and she did it so well!” Reeves got a laugh from the crowd when she said that Gabby made it look so easy, and it made her think, “I can do that — in my dreams!” In a change of tone, Reeves sang Ani DiFranco’s “32 Flavors” with such feeling that women in the crowd called out to her, because the song struck a chord and told so much truth. Reeves was supported by accomplished musicians Peter Martin on piano, Reginald Veal on bass, Terreon Gully on drums, and Rio de Janeiro’s Romero Lubambo on guitar. Reeves, who uses her voice like a musical instrument, seems to keep getting better and better. She ended her set by vocalizing the names of her band again, with musicianship that made her show one of the high points of the festival. 

Pat Metheny Unity Band. Renowned guitarist Pat Metheny started his set by saying, “Thank you for coming out. We’ve played this incredible festival before, and it’s always a pleasure.” He praised his musicians, saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Ben Williams, and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Together, they performed several songs from their CD, Unity Band, including “Breakdealer,” “This Belongs to You,” “Roofdogs,” and “Come and See,” with an intricate weaving of their instruments. At one point during the set, Pat called out, “Remember Michael Brecker!” Before ending the day’s performances at the Fort Stage, the down-to-earth Metheny once again thanked the audience for coming to see him. Well, it was the audience’s pleasure, because the show was outstanding. 

Sunday, August 5

Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors with Adam Cruz. The first set of the day on the main Fort Stage was played by Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors with drummer Adam Cruz. Berklee College of Music in Boston, which has produced top jazz musicians for several decades, sent some of its top students to Newport for this concert. Alex Hargreaves on violin, Matthew Halpin on tenor saxophone, Lihi Haruvi on alto saxophone, Christian Li on piano, and Spencer Stewart on bass, were chosen by the school for their musical virtuosity and composing talent. Indeed, some of the songs they played were originals, including “Zenith,” “Outer Reaches,” and “Second Dance.” The group was introduced by John Hailer of Natixis, who said, “Jazz is a global language.” Hailer praised the talent of the Berklee students, and pledged his continued corporate support for the Newport Jazz Festival. 

Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Centennial Project. Recently, composer Ryan Truesdell went into the archives of the late, great Gil Evans with the permission of Evans’ family, and discovered a treasure trove of unrecorded works. Some of them had never been played in public, some were unfinished, and some were arrangements of other people’s work. The result of this discovery is Centennial--Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans, a CD in honor of what would have been Evans’ 100th birthday. A renowned pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader, Gil Evans worked with many of the greatest jazz musicians over the years, including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Elvin Jones, Helen Merrill, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Burrell and Lee Konitz. Although Gil Evans never played at the Newport Jazz Festival, George Wein and Ryan Truesdell both wanted his music to be played there out of respect for Evans’ achievements in jazz. Truesdell also wanted to pay tribute to the Newport Jazz Festival, calling it “an educational and historic landmark.” He continued, “In honoring Gil Evans, I also want to honor the festival,” and added that a large part of jazz would not have happened without George Wein and Newport. Truesdell’s big band performed “Dancing on a Great Big Rainbow,” “How About You,” and “Ballad of the Sad Young Men.” Guest vocalist Gretchen Parlato joined the band on “Look to the Rainbow.” This historically significant set ended with Gil Evans’ arrangement of “Sister Sadie,” which Horace Silver played at the festival in 1959.

 

Kurt Elling . There wasn’t a seat to be had at the Quad Stage during Kurt Elling’s set. Elling’s voice was smooth and masterful on songs like “Dedicated to You,” “Come Fly With Me,” “On Broadway,” “Skylark,” and “Golden Lady.” Elling has worked with numerous jazz greats, including Dave Brubeck, Al Jarreau, and Christian McBride. He has also served as Artist-in-Residence at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He was joined on stage by Laurence Hobgood on piano, Clark Sommers on bass, Kendrick Scott on drums, and John McLean on guitar. All the musicians were in top form, a fact made even more amazing because they had performed in Pennsylvania the previous night, then had to get up at 4:00 am to get to Newport in time for their set! The indefatigable Elling also lent his vocal talents to another act when he joined John Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quintet just a couple of hours later. 

3 Cohens: Yuval, Anat, & Avishai Cohen. Some families are just musically gifted, and the Cohens, soprano saxophonist Yuval, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Anat, and trumpeter Avishai, join the illustrious group of jazz families that includes names like Marsalis, Jones, Heath, and Adderley. Yuval called The Newport Jazz Festival “Jazzrusalem,” because when they were growing up in Israel and loving jazz, they thought about this festival all the time. Anat said to the audience, “Thank you for coming out to support live jazz.” The Cohens were joined by Aaron Goldberg on piano, Rudy Royston on drums, and Reuben Rogers on bass. The group played numbers from their latest CD, Family, including “Blues for Dandi’s Orange Bull Chasing an Orange Sack,” “With the Soul of the Greatest of Them All,” “The Mooch,” “Shufla de Shufla,” and the title track, “Family.” In addition to blowing the crowd away with her brothers in this show, Anat lent her considerable talents to another set: 3 Clarinets: Ken Peplowski, Evan Christopher, and Anat Cohen. 

The Maria Schneider Orchestra. Composer Maria Schneider’s music evoked many moods. One song, “Night Watchmen,” was a number she wrote years ago about a business in her Midwestern hometown, where night watchmen worked. You could almost see the shadowy figures moving about when you listened to this song. Schneider was joined by the following superb musicians: on reeds, Steve Wilson, Charles Pillow, Rich Perry, Donny McCaslin, and Scott Robinson; on trumpets, Tony Kadleck, Greg Gisbert, Laurie Frink, and Ingrid Jensen; on trombones, Keith O’Quinn, Ryan Kaberle, Marshall Gilkes, and George Flynn; on accordion, Gary Versace; on guitar, Lage Lund; on bass, Jay Anderson; on drums, Clarence Penn; and on piano, Frank Kimbrough. Other songs included “Green Piece,” “Evanescence,” “Gumba Blue,” and “Hang Gliding,” a song about the trepidation and excitement she experienced in Brazil, when she was strapped into a glider and jumped off a cliff! Schneider also dedicated a song to George Wein, saying, “He has made this festival a home for jazz musicians. Hopefully, it will continue to be a home for future generations of musicians.” 

Tedeschi Trucks Band. The Tedeschi Trucks Band closed the festival with a joyful, raucous two-hour set of honky-tonk rhythm and blues. Singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi’s fiery vocals and guitarist Derek Trucks’ hot riffs were backed by Oteil Burbridge on bass guitar, Kofi Burbridge on keyboards and flute, Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson on drums and percussion, Mike Mattison and Mark Rivers on vocals, Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Maurice Brown on trumpet, and Saunders Sermons on trombone. Although there was some initial murmuring of surprise that this wasn’t traditional jazz, the group soon won the audience over. These musicians were incendiary on stage, and rocked the crowd on “Everybody’s Talking at Me,” “Midnight in Harlem,” “Bound for Glory,” “Shelter,” “Rollin’ & Tumblin’,” “Nobody’s Free,” and “Darling Be Home Soon.” After receiving a very enthusiastic standing ovation, the group did “Wade in the Water” as an encore. 

Conclusion

For many people, the Newport Jazz Festival is a rite of the summer season. The “first jazz festival”  has been an immeasurably important factor in keeping live jazz available to the public. Without the role of jazz festivals, who knows where jazz would be today? During its existence, the Newport Jazz Festival has inspired a legendary documentary, introduced new artists, allowed established artists to debut new music, and showcased unforgettable collaborations. It has also been the site of several notable recordings. Newport has motivated people to create festivals throughout the world. In turn, those festivals have booked thousands of jazz musicians over the years. The Newport Jazz Festival has not only been a pioneering force, but is certain to remain a prime jazz pilgrimage destination for musicians and fans for years to come.