Friday

The distinguished Newport Jazz Festival returned to Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI, for its 72nd year with a stacked lineup of up-and-coming musicians and jazz legends across three sold-out days. Jazz lovers everywhere were eager to see the result of drummer Nate Smith’s recent appointment as the festival’s artistic director. One of Smith’s main focuses this year was showcasing the notable discographies and lives of jazz legends John Coltrane and Miles Davis, who would’ve both turned 100 this year. Through the blazing sun, high humidity and sporadic downpours, attendees were gifted a weekend full of surprises and immense talent.

Friday, July 31 began on the Quad Stage with a smooth, isolated solo from saxophonist Braxton Cook. Throughout his set, Cook displayed impressive range on the saxophone as he skimmed through different eras of his discography, playing songs like “Kingdom Come” from his most recent LP, Not Everyone Can Go, and the title track on No Doubt. He was also accompanied by a six-string bass played by Paul Reinhold, which was the first of many onstage appearances of basses with more than the four standard strings. 

Shortly after Cook, Montreal-based duo Angine de Poitrine made their long-awaited U.S. live debut on the Fort Stage. Working through technical difficulties at the start of their set, the costumed, incognito duo spoke to one another in an incomprehensible, distorted voice that sounded similar to a didgeridoo. I could only make out that they said “Newport,” which led to half of the audience putting up hand triangles. Their fanbase’s unwavering loyalty became apparent when I realized I was surrounded by people wearing the same black and white polka-dots that covered the pair’s get-ups. Eventually, Khn de Poitrine was able to get his captivating loops going on their double-neck guitar and bass. Khn’s loops were paired with Klek de Poitrine’s chest-pounding drumming, creating the addictive sound that the world has recently become obsessed with. After this energy-packed set, Khn and Klek likely received an influx of cult-like followers.

After Angine de Poitrine powered up the festival-goers for the rest of the day, bassist Mohini Dey took the Harbor Stage with her five-string bass, singing alongside each pluck of the bass and sprinting around the instrument’s neck in unison with saxophonist Jonathan Mones. Just over the fort’s stone walls, the Charles Lloyd Sky Quartet played a handful of covers, including “Home At Last” by Steely Dan. As the quartet’s set came to an end, the Trombone Shorty Foundation second line band and dancers from Salve Regina University brought New Orleans directly to Newport and started a party in the Quad.

Clouds began to roll in as vocal titan Yebba took the Fort Stage, which prevented those standing in awe of her talent from getting sunburns. Her live approach to “Distance” included vocals that reached beyond the song’s stunning studio version. A smile never left her face, even when she was emotionally overcome by the loud cheers that followed her performance of “Yebba’s Heartbreak.” Amidst a fitting sunshower, Yebba ran miles vocally alongside her three backup singers with an admirable calm air. She also took a break from her softer tone to belt run after intricate run in “Aggressive,” showing her notable versatility as a vocalist. 

Just as the rain stopped, Leon Thomas took the Quad Stage for his Newport Jazz debut on his birthday. Though the name “Andre” could be heard in whispers throughout the crowd, Thomas made it known that he’s developed far beyond his Nickelodeon character as a performer. He established a groove with “Just How You Are” and maintained it with the tight, building sound of “Muse.” 

Unwilling to let the high energy die, Little Simz arrived on the Quad Stage as a force to be reckoned with. The audience was in the palm of her hand, jumping into action whenever she wanted everyone to clap, dance or sing along. Seemingly feeling left out of the party, Simz jumped down from the stage and danced her way through the crowd during “Woman.” Simz ended her one-of-a-kind set with a dynamic performance of “Gorilla,” taking us to church by turning her fans into a choir and asking that everyone put their hands up. 

Vulfpeck maintained the buzz humming in the Quad and ended the day with the second set of their “Vulfport” experience on the Fort Stage. The group played the Newport Folk Festival the weekend prior, but returned to show audiences their undeniable versatility as musicians. As the sun began to set and a crowd member skipped around with a bubble gun, people swayed to the pure tones of special guest Tia Fuller’s saxophone and band-wide vocals that traveled out over the ocean surrounding Fort Adams. 

Saturday

London-based singer-songwriter Olive Jones opened the Quad Stage on Saturday morning with unwavering confidence. With just her guitar, a drum pad and her entrancing voice, Jones captured the audience with her melodies and effortless humor when sharing the stories behind the songs she played. During “Planes,” Jones traveled smoothly to each end of her vocal range while keeping a steady groove on her guitar. When belting the word “heart” in “A Woman’s Heart,” you could almost hear her voice hit the stone walls of the fort and come back to your ears. Jones closed her set by masterfully covering Nina Simone’s rendition of Johnny Mathis’ “Wild As The Wind” as a nod to the jazz giants that have taken the stage at Fort Adams before her. 

Mei Semones entered the stage next; her presence filling seats with fans eager to hear the up-and-coming artist live. Semones and her band completed freefall-esque time signature jumps without a hitch every time, giving a masterclass on what separates her from the rest. Though Semones is a lead vocalist, her guitar-playing skills refused to go unnoticed, especially on “Animaru,” the title track on her debut album. Her fingers raced around her fretboard in tandem with bassist Noam Tanzer. As a treat to her enamored audience, Semones played some unreleased tracks that elaborated upon concepts from her first LP. 

After Semones’ Newport Jazz Festival debut, Nate Smith took the Fort Stage to show everyone exactly why he’s the festival’s artistic director. Accompanied by saxophone, bass and grand piano, Smith executed intricate, sharp drumming that made his expertise audible. As Smith’s set came to an end, the Linda May Han Oh Trio’s time began on the Harbor Stage. Renowned bassist Linda May Han Oh was joined by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and drummer Tyshawn Sorey for a full 50 minutes of irrefutable talent. Oh moved her body with each pluck of the bass, shutting her eyes to channel every note. Akinmusire cut through the air with his impressive tone on trumpet, while Sorey provided a strong base for the trio with a full-bodied sound on drums. During “Strange Heavens,” Oh’s skill set shined brightly on the double bass as she passionately moved through a duet with Akinmusire that sat in different octaves. 

Towards the end of the trio’s set, Snarky Puppy’s wall of sound began to travel through the tunnel that leads to the Quad. The large, collective-adjacent group happily traveled through a setlist of music that belongs to a variety of genres and ethnic origins, encapsulating the band’s backgrounds. As one of the funkier sets of the day, audience members freely danced around in the grass. Gotts Street Park accepted the responsibility of sustaining the great vibes over on the Harbor Stage. The trio—with the addition of drummer Joost Hendrickx—just jammed together for the first few songs, but eventually brought out frequent collaborator Olive Jones for her second festival appearance of the day. Their cohesive sound on “Tell Me Why” and an unreleased track from the band’s forthcoming album Somewhere Between left the audience desperate for more collaborative work from the two artists.

Jon Batiste soon joined the trio trend with his John Batiste Trios set to close the Quad Stage for the day. He began with “FREEDOM,” an improvised version of Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66’s “Mas Que Nada.” After the first pair to join him left the stage, I could hear the roar of the crowd before I could see Flea enter the stage with his blazing pink buzzcut. After picking up his trumpet, Flea and Batiste began an off-the-cuff rendition of John Coltrane and Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood.” Just a minute in, drummer Chad Smith sauntered up to the drum set to complete the trio and eventually pick up the cover’s tempo. The trio jammed together for the rest of the set, creating one of the most iconic moments from the eventful weekend.

John Coltrane’s music was also being played just over the wall at the Fort Stage by the Sonny Miles on a Trane tribute band. The group consisted of trumpeter Chief Adjuah, saxophonist Kamasi Washington and a handful of Washington’s band members. The talented pair proved to be a perfect choice to execute this tribute, as they both appeared to be lost in the music of their idols. To honor the recent passing of saxophone legend and Miles Davis collaborator Sonny Rollins, the duo added “Oleo” and “Tenor Madness” to the setlist. The performance was a great way to cap off the day and remind attendees young and old of the importance of Davis’ and Coltrane’s impact on the genre of jazz.

Sunday 

Organist Sam Fribush and drummer Corey Fonville—aka Fonville X Fribush—opened the Quad Stage on Sunday, making their Newport Jazz Festival debut accompanied by guitarist Morgan Burrs. The trio was receptive to one another throughout their entire set, which could be heard through their clean transitions and tight tempo kept by Fonville’s adept drumming. The Sade fans in the crowd cheered when the group introduced their cover of “I Couldn’t Love You More,” which was recorded for their EP, R&B Organ Trio. 

The duo’s set was followed by another rising group of modern jazz musicians, SML, aka Spontaneous Music Live. The star-studded group—consisting of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann—stunned audiences with their improvisation-centered approach to performance. Despite their respective backgrounds in music, the group traversed subgenres with ease and appeared as though they could read each other’s minds. 

Dana and Alden sustained the youthful energy of modern jazz with their magnetic festival debut set. Brothers Dana and Alden McWayne took the Harbor Stage alongside their band with wide smiles and palpable excitement. Alden frequently conversed with the crowd, letting us know that the set would take us on a trip to their hometown of Eugene, Oregon and asking the crowd, “Are there any dads out there that drink IPAs?” Jokes aside, Alden’s crisp, playful drumming fused well with Dana’s prodigious saxophone solos. “Norm”—written in honor of activist Norman Finkelstein—featured emotional, cascading piano elements by keyboardist and vocalist Ebba Dankel. The duo closed their set with their hit “Dragon Fly”, which comprised spacious vocals by Dankel, great instrumental harmonies between Dana and guitarist Eli Torg, and sharp tempo changes by Alden.

The fun continued over at the Flea and the Honora Band set on the Fort Stage, where the renowned bassist entered the stage with a dramatic blazer and glasses that matched his bright pink hair, surprising no one. Joined by a group who are no strangers to the Newport Jazz Festival—guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, saxophonist Josh Johnson and drummer Deantoni Parks—Flea easily translated his jazz-centered LP, Honora, to a live setting. Though the album is more subdued than Red Hot Chili Peppers’ discography, he still danced erratically around the stage, staying true to his joyful, contagious energy. 

If one wizard of a bassist wasn’t enough, Thundercat shortly took the stage after Flea, donning his glittering gold six-string bass with Super Sonic on the body. As Thundercat hustled through sprawling bass lines, he also graced the audience with his iconic falsetto. During “Black Qualls,” he and his band performed a breakdown on the bridge that instantly made the crowd move. His band also stood in with backup vocals for Michael and Brian D’Addario of The Lemon Twigs during “Pozole.” Unwilling to leave the stage, Thundercat gifted the crowd with two rounds of “Funny Thing,” sending the crowd into a dancing frenzy.   

As clouds began to roll in for the evening, people nearly stuffed the Quad for Lake Street Dive’s performance. On “Same Old News,” lead vocalist Rachael Price’s soulful voice took up any remaining space in the fort and reverberated off the walls. Though a pouring rain settled in halfway through their set, the group’s fans continued to dance about and get soaked from head to toe. As a thank you to their resilient fans, the group played a couple of unreleased tracks and a stripped-down cover of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”

The rain became relentless, but persistent fans submitted to soggy clothes to see jazz legend Herbie Hancock close the festival on the Fort Stage. “Watermelon Man” was driven by its immortal groove as Hancock switched between a keyboard and a keytar. Despite being 86-years-old, Hancock jumped about the stage for two minutes straight with his keytar in hand and a huge smile on his face. He also treated his diehard fans to “Actual Proof,” “Chameleon,” and a cover of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints,” which he originally played piano on. Despite the unforgiving skies, his infectious joy prevented the spirit of the festival from dampening.

In its 72nd year, the Newport Jazz Festival once again proved its adaptability to the fast-moving pace of today’s music by featuring artists young and old, highlighting the organizations that keep jazz alive, and maintaining the open-minded essence of the genre. Newcomer Nate Smith curated an all-star lineup that encapsulated the history of the festival and displayed how artists have built upon the concepts that the festival’s first performers produced. The Quad’s giant banner that read “Your humanity is your instrument” was a perfect way to sum up the weekend’s indubitable, uplifting nature.

Check out all of Hannah Sender’s Newport Jazz Festival photos in the gallery below.