Sketchy weather Saturday of this historic affair had a lineup that seems to be continually moving in a positive direction.
Roy Hargrove: Veteran trumpeter started the main stage. His cool post-Miles vibe is under-rated. Guest-heavy 90s recording RH Factor and more recent Earfood are on heavy rotation in my jazz library.
Mary Halvorsen's Code Girl: Set started with an embarrassingly long genuflection of some DJ bestowing an award on Mary. Awkward and nerdy, MH accepted award and moved on with her genre-bending set with her on guitar, Michael Formanek on bass, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, trumpet, and female voice were the quintet. Uneasy listening, the addition of lyrics proved to further the avant gardiness of tunes. Critics darling and Firehouse 12 home team denizen MH gets credit for originality and is a few phone calls away from Marc Ribot level session work.
Grace Kelly: Sexy Asian saxstress Kelly usually roams in the smooth jazz circles, which might prove problematic for the straight ahead Newport crowd. Goes to show if you have chops and come with a tight band, you can show off the Jazz. Excellent version of Sinnerman (music) and What A Wonderful World ( lyrics), sung by Kelly was a highlight.
Pat Metheny: I have a complicated affinity for Metheny. Early recordings like Watercolors and As Falls Wichita... were cornerstones of my 80s Jazz listening. I hung on each release during this period that culminated with the live recording Travels which was partly recorded at a West Hartford Agora show I attended. Metheny then seemed to get sappy and stale and I ignored his output. Several years ago, with the aid of drummer Antonio Sanchez, Pat got his groove back. Unfortunate then to have the second half of his set washed out by monsoon level rain and winds. Before we scurried to safety in the beer tent, we were able to hear some vintage Metheny.
Louis Cole Big Band Blowout: Never heard of this guy, but anyone who fronts a big band in a Tigger the Tiger costume deserves a listen. Young guy vocalist had a lot of help onstage.
Anat Cohen and Marcello Goncalves: Latin set from clarinet extraordinaire Cohen and Brazilian guitarist Goncalves. Cohen, from Israel, globetrots with her music. She is comfortable in all styles. Will have to look into Goncalves who had a great touch, like Gabor Szabo.
Charles Lloyd New Quartet: Sax and flute legend Lloyd is one of the most exciting minds in jazz today. In his 70s (80s?), Charles is anchoring this festival by playing in different incarnations all three days. Rain subsided for his excellent afternoon set. Bass, drums, amazing piano were fronted by Lloyd who looked exactly like the muppets sax player. Closed with some Forest Flower and Man From Two Worlds, a track that was popularized with Charles' time with Chico Hamilton.
Jon Batiste: New Orleans pianist Batiste is famous for fronting Stay Human, his band on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Snappy dresser, and even snappier pianist, Batiste was surrounded by local music students on stage. He played great renditions of St. James Infirmary and Round Midnight.The kids on stage got a real good view of this master.
Laurie Anderson and Christian McBride: Odd pairing of NY weirdo and Lou Reed widow Anderson, and Lincoln Center ambassador McBride. Joined by cello, with McBride on bass, and Anderson on violin and vocals, the set was a string trio with Anderson's patented surreal monologues on top. She took a few jabs at the administration's border control policy.
Lean On Me ( Jose James Celebrates Bill Withers): Fantastic set by this young vocalist who had shades and headband that made him look like Band of Gypsies-era Hendrix. Who doesn't like Lean On Me, Use Me, and Grandma's Hands penned by the soul master? In James hands, these tunes took on a reverent but modern flair. The beat boxing on Grandma's Hands was amazing.
Harold Mabern and Eric Alexander: Mabern, another old timer on piano and Alexander on sax blended the generations with a good set on the small stage
Andra Day: Vocalist Day closed out the main stage. Good version of Mississippi Goddamn as we were exiting the park.
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