Outdoor music festivals are a big part of summer in the United States.
Since Woodstock, it has become a part of American culture to head out into a big open field to enjoy listening to music, be it camping, or in a picnic-like setting. The large number of these events being held all around the country attests to their popularity. One of these events is the JVC Jazz Festival Newport in August, part of a long line of large-scale outdoor international music events that JVC supports, including the JVC Jazz Festival New York, and Rotterdam’s North Sea Jazz Festival. We will introduce you to this event, from the pre-event festivities to the two-day event itself, in a three-part report.
Article, Photos by Takehiko Tokiwa
The Newport Jazz Festival, forerunner to the JVC Jazz Festival Newport, started in 1954 and this year marks its 53rd event. Alongside the Monterey Jazz Festival, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, the two events are longest-running outdoor events of their kind. Many of the performances have been recorded and sold as live albums, making the event an important mainstay in US jazz history. JVC has been sponsoring the event since 1984 when its name was changed to the JVC Jazz Festival Newport. Under this banner it continues to mark its name in jazz history.
The event’s venue in Newport, Rhode Island, is a luxury resort area located just between New York City and Boston. It was once the home of the America’s Cup international yacht race and is well-known as the best sailing spot on the East Coast. It’s a popular summer getaway, where celebrities such as the railroad millionaire Vanderbilt family and other such luminaries have built luxurious summer houses. It was also once a summer getaway for former presidents John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Even today, many of these luxurious summer houses still line the Atlantic coastline, some distance from the center of city. It was in 1958 that fashion photographer Bert Stern produced the timeless jazz documentary movie classic “Jazz on a Summer’s Day,” which captured the energy and excitement of that summer in Newport, distinguished by the musicians playing at the Newport Jazz Festival, the many visiting celebrities, and the America’s Cup.
Photo by Yoshiaki IshikawaThis year, the festival was held on the second weekend of August at the Fort Adams State Park. A pre-festival welcoming event was held on the Friday before the commencement of the festival itself. The party was held at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, located in the Newport Casino (not a social club or a gambling casino) where the festival was held in the 1950s. This was where the first US Open was held in 1881. At the outdoor venue, a special stage and seating area were arranged for the event. Although the previous day showed promising weather, the day of the pre-festival event started with heavy rains but gradually turned to showers, allowing for local talent and music fans to get together to kick-off the event.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the festival, which started in 1957 when Count Basie (p) lead his Count Basie Orchestra, with members Lester Young (ts), Illinois Jacquie (ts), James Williams (vo) and Roy Eldridge (tp), to play their legendary gig, recorded as a live album, and when the three divas, Ella Fitzgerald (vo), Billie Holiday (vo) and Carmen McRae (vo) all sang together.
To celebrate this anniversary, Bill Hughes (tb), who was the youngest member of the band in 1957, appeared on stage with the Count Basie Orchestra and Dianne Reeves (vo), renowned as the top singer after the late Ella Fitzgerald (vo), Sarah Vaughan (vo) and Betty Carter (vo), to recreate that special night in 1957.
Neena Freelon (vo), Count Basie Orchestra Photo by Yoshiaki Ishikawa
As light showers of rain fell, the Count Basie Orchestra took stage. The crowd was excited to listen to numbers such as “Who Me?” and “In A Mellow Tone” played with the one and only Count Basie sound. One after another, the Orchestra played all of their hit songs, sending the crowd wild when they dropped into “One O’Clock Jump.” It was just after this number that regular guest singer Neena Freelon took the stage to sing “Shiny Stockings”, to which the crowd broke out in joyful cheers. From that point, it was one American standard after another, everybody falling silent to listen to the wonderful Erroll Garner ballad “Misty.” The band ended their act with a full-on swing tune “Too Close For Comfort.”
Dianne Reeves (vo)
Geoff Keezer (p)
During the stage changeover, the rain clouds disappeared to show clear skies and starlight. As music director Geoff Keezer (p) and his piano trio played, Dianne Reeves appeared and took to the stage. Since her debut in the mid-80s, Dianne has been known as a talented singer who is able to cross over from genre to genre, covering jazz, funk and Latin music. 20 years since her debut, she has steadily built her career and has remained at the top of her game. She started off with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bossa nova “Triste,” which she invigorated with some adlibbing, as did the late Sarah Vaughan (vo), sending a message to the audience and receiving immense praise from the crowd. Her powerful voice and strong groove is proof that she is the queen of modern jazz. Her gospel rendering of “A Child is Born” resembles that of legendary singer Mahalia Jackson, who sang the very last track in “Jazz on a Summer’s Day.” Throughout her performance, Geoff Keezer (p), a musician acclaimed by the likes of David Sanborn and other big names, showed tremendous support with his excellent arrangement and meticulous performance. The act ended with “I Remember Sarah,” a blues track to commemorate Sarah Vaughan (vo). This momentous introduction to the festival was a sure sign that we were in for a captivating two days on the horizon.
Related Links
Count Basie Orchestra http://www.countbasieorchestra.com/
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