Newport and Telluride Festivals Launch This Weekend

By I Aug. 2, 2013

The 2013 Newport Jazz Festival is here, kicking off tonight with Natalie Cole and the Bill Charlap Trio, including a special guest, Mr. Freddie Cole, and continuing throughout the weekend with a stellar lineup.

Saturday’s lineup includes the Wayne Shorter 80th Birthday Celebration; Esperanza Spalding’s Radio City Music Society; Marcus Miller; the Michel Camilo Sextet; the Terence Blanchard Quintet; the Robert Glasper Experiment; Gregory Porter; the Bill Charlap Trio with guests Bob Wilber and Anat Cohen; Edmar Castañada with Andrea Tierra; the Lew Tabakin Quartet with Randy Brecker, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash; Ray Anderson’s Pocket Brass Band; the Rez Abbasi Trio; Amir ElSaffar Two Rivers; the Mary Halvorson Quintet and more.

Sunday features Chick Corea & The Vigil with Christian McBride, Tim Garland, Marcus Gilmore and Charles Altura; Eddie Palmieri’s Salsa Orchestra; the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band under the direction of Paquito D’Rivera; Hiromi’s Trio Project with Anthony Jackson and Steve Smith; the Joshua Redman Quartet; Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth Band; Steve Coleman’s Five Elements, Talea Ensemble and Duo with David Bryant; Jim Hall with Scott Colley, Lewis Nash and special guest Julian Lage; the Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Jon Batiste and Stay Human; Dee Alexander; the Donny McCaslin Group; David Gilmore and Numerology featuring Claudia Acuña, Miguel Zenón, Luis Perdomo, Christian McBride, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Mino Cineulu and more.

Founded by George Wein in 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival was the first annual jazz fest in the U.S. and one of the great wonders of the jazz festival circuit. Set in Rhode Island’s historic Fort Adams State Park, the festival delivers amazing music and coastal scenery. The 87-year-old Wein remains active in the festival’s magic touch. DownBeat will be there covering the fest. For show times and more details, click here.

Also taking place this weekend is the 37th Annual Telluride Jazz Festival (Aug. 2–4).

This year’s Telluride guest of honor is Hammond B3 organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith, who recently released a live trio album, The Healer, and who has recorded a forthcoming octet album, In The Beginning. He’ll perform at the fest on Aug. 2–3.

Guitarist John Scofield’s Uberjam Band (with Andy Hess, Avi Bortnick and Adam Deitch) will perform on Aug. 2, and bassist Stanley Clarke will lead his band on Aug. 3.

The music of New Orleans will be the focus on Aug. 4, with performances by Galactic, the Stooges Brass Band and the New Orleans Suspects, which includes “Mean” Willie Green (drummer for the Neville Brothers), Reggie Scanlan (bassist in the Radiators), Jake Eckert (lead guitarist in the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), CR Gruver (pianist from Outformation) and Jeff Watkins (the former leader of James Brown’s band).

The festival also includes special events such as wine tastings, yoga classes and activities for kids. More information and a complete lineup is posted at the fest’s website.