The Roots perform at Newport Jazz Festival. Photo by Adam Kissick
Friday
The rain cleared just in time for the start of the 71st edition of the historic Newport Jazz Festival on August 1. Despite overcast skies and strong winds coming off the ocean that surrounds Fort Adams State Park, festival attendees arrived smiling and eager to see the artists on Friday’s lineup hit the stage. Many also braved the weather to follow the classic Newport Fest tradition of arriving via bike.
As the crowds got settled on their beach chairs and blankets, Tyreek McDole and the Moses Yoofee Trio started off the day with well-attended, engaging sets. The Newport Jazz Camp also got to show off the jazz standards and Stevie Wonder songs they’ve been learning this summer to fellow jazz lovers on the Foundation Stage.
Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness (BCUC) took over the Quad Stage to bring indigenous funk and fusion to Newport from Soweto, South Africa. The groups’ powerful, booming drums and passionate approach to performance already had audience members dancing in a variety of ways by lunchtime. Intense, sustained vocals left the audience in awe and elicited roars of cheering and applause. Sofi Tukker also hit the Quad Stage with their Butter set, playing the jazz-influenced version of their dance music album Bread. Rather than taking their usual spot behind their DJ equipment, the pair was supported by a talented band that proficiently reshaped “Throw Some Ass” into a jazz song.
Back over at the Foundation Stage—a performance space used to showcase young musicians on the rise—Primera Linea made their Newport Jazz debut. Mentored by Newport Jazz Fest 2024 performers Cimafunk, the group drew in a thick crowd with their palpable stage presence, enthusiastic lead vocalists, and dramatic tempo changes that generated some of the hypest reactions of the day. After their set earlier that morning, the Newport Jazz Camp students showed up in huge numbers in support of Primer Linea.
Those in search of more incredible stage presence and dramatic elements flocked to the Fort Stage to catch singer-songwriter Raye’s powerhouse set. Joined by a big band, she began with “Oscar Winning Tears,” letting the audience know that they were in for a treat through effortless belts and dramatic instrumentals from her band. She was sure to acknowledge all of her inspirations who had taken the same stage before her, specifically noting Nina Simone. For “Mary Jane” and a cover of Diana Washington’s “Cry Me A River,” she became every vocal coach’s worst nightmare by sitting on her knees while she sang, but remained a vocal powerhouse. Raye pulled on both the audience’s heartstrings and her own while singing “Ice Cream Man” and her unreleased track “I Know You’re Hurting,” reminding everyone that they aren’t alone in their struggles and that “music is medicine.”
Just behind the Fort Stage, Thee Sacred Souls filled the Quad with people eager to see their set amid their year of rising popularity. Lead vocalist Josh Lane spent all of his energy for the day on their performance. If the numbers were crunched, he probably spent just as much time immersing himself within the audience as he did on stage. During “Running Away,” Lane surprised many by taking a jog throughout the entire Quad while singing, looping around people settled on their blankets and chairs, leaving their faces full of shock. Lane decided to rest at the back of the stage to sing “Future Lover,” directing the audience’s full attention to his talented bandmates: guitarist Shay Stulz, bassist Sal Samono and drummer Alex Garcia. Astyn Turrentine and Viane Escobar also supplied stunning background vocals loaded with compelling harmonies.
As Thee Sacred Souls’ set came to an end, booming bass could be heard from the start of The Roots set just beyond the stone wall, sending vibrations through the ground. “Questlove” Thompson’s drumming was so crisp that if you bit down on it, you’d break a tooth. Tariq Trotter, a.k.a Black Thought, traveled through his swift rap verses with ease and showed no audible signs of wavering energy. Damon Bryson a.k.a. Tuba Wooding Jr. danced around non-stop with his sousaphone in tow, and shared a great moment of synchronicity with keyboardist Ray Angry while he played talk box-sounding notes on his keytar. The group’s longevity was apparent through their consistent energy and chemistry on stage, which made them a perfect choice to end the first day of the festival.
Saturday
Day two started strong with a set from Maimouna Youseff, aka Mumu Fresh, on the quad stage. Youseff set the vocal standards for the day with her expansive vocal range and sustained belts. Outside of singing, Youseff raps, writes songs, MCs and engages in widespread activism. Her multifaceted wisdom came forward when she introduced her song “Miracle” by telling the crowd, “you can’t move furniture into a cluttered house,” referencing the inability to receive a miracle if your mind is full. Between Youseff’s operatic finales and her adept band, her set was a key start to the attendees’ Saturday experience.
The London-based, multifaceted group Kokoroko soon took over the Quad stage with a set full of multi-instrumentalist talent to keep the fun going. Lead vocalist and trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey switched effortlessly between her two instruments of choice and didn’t let her smile leave her face as she sang. Her warm tone, combined with the smooth sound of vocalist and trombonist Anoushka Nanguy, created a solid foundation for their floating harmonies. Kokoroko emitted chemistry within the band through their sound and their willingness to let each bandmate have a moment in the spotlight. This approach prompted guitarist Tobi Adenaike-Johnson to take on an impressive guitar solo that aligned well with the intricate bassline from bassist Duane Atherly towards the end of “Closer To Me.”
Outside of the Quad, bassist and successful producer Ben Carr, aka CARRTOONS, took the Harbor stage next with his powerhouse band. Vocalists Joanna Teters and Julia Zivic took the lead on vocals for the majority of the set, stunning the crowd with soaring harmonies and soulful belts. Zivic also supplied her notable guitar skills and sang alongside her riffs with intricacy. Kiefer Shackelford, aka Kiefer, played riveting keys in Carr’s band, accenting the funk in each track with strong chords and twinkling transitional elements. Carr’s bass lines demonstrated skill while blending seamlessly with the rest of the band, especially with drummer Diego Ramirez’s consistency in maintaining the undeniable groove. During “Dial It Back,” Carr also brought vocals to the table and joined Teters and Zivic in a smooth three-part harmony, which was soon followed by an expansive belted riff from Zivic. Since Carr used to attend the famed jazz festival with his father when he was young, he thought it was only right to bring out his dad, Rick Carr, for an epic violin solo that was met by roars from the crowd. “I’m very proud of my whole crew and it’s just so awesome to bring my dad here,” says Carr, reflecting on his first time hitting the Newport Jazz Fest stage.
Later in the afternoon, the Quad seating was cleared in preparation for the fun that WILLOW’s set would entail. Willow Smith immediately launched the audience into cheers as she moved easily through her high falsetto. Supporting Smith’s stunning vocals were bass lines from bassist Mohini Day, full of expertise that could be heard through quick, rhythmic movement between notes. Smith shed light on her creative mind when she turned her pop-punk hit “Transparent Soul” into a calypso-influenced dance track and “Meet Me At Our Spot” into a soothing piano ballad. After sharing her piano playing and vocals with the crowd, Smith decided to take it a step further and rip a guitar solo, which prompted the crowd to cheer for her to the point where she felt compelled to bow down in return.
Picking up on WILLOW’s good vibes and high energy, Janelle Monáe took over the Fort Stage to end an already talent-packed day with a next-level set. Joined by two dancers and a large band packed with talented musicians, Monáe provided the crowd with seventy minutes of pure entertainment. As many artists who performed on the Fort Stage did, Monáe and her band honored those who have played the festival and have served as an inspiration to her, playing instrumental sections for artists like Count Basie and Sly and the Family Stone. Her iconic vocal talent made a strong appearance on “Electric Lady,” as well as her ability to command the stage with her undeniable stage presence. The bass in “Lipstick Lover” shook the ground, basically sending attendees out of their seats to start dancing. Monáe ended her set with her jazz-rock fusion hit “Come Alive (War of the Roses),” filling Fort Adams with booming bass, raucous guitar, and forceful vocals.
Sunday
Jimmy James taking his teeth to the strings for “Amazing Grace.” Photo by Rich Fury
The final day began at the Harbor Stage with Parlor Greens, an organ, drums, and guitar trio. Following an impressive introduction from Artistic Director McBride, where he referred to the group’s music as pot liquor, guitarist Jimmy James, organist Adam Scone and drummer Tim Carman took the stage with confidence for their Newport Jazz debut. Instantly, they tapped into the undeniable funk McBride spoke of with resonant organ chords from Scone and an energetic guitar solo on “In Green We Dream.” Drummer Carman never left the pocket, especially on the blues track “200 Dollars,” due to his heavy background in the genre. James also took this song as an opportunity to end the song with a variety of famous guitar riffs, which included him playing “Amazing Grace” and an epic conclusion played entirely with his mouth. To further excite the crowd, the trio covered Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” in the Parlor Greens way. “Growing up, my mother listened to a lot of country music, being from Texas, and I wanna revisit that,” said James, in support of his choice to cover “Jolene.” Once their set was complete, the crowd was grateful that McBride discovered them through the speakers of a Japanese record store.
Kiefer Shackelford, aka Kiefer, entered the Quad Stage for his second performance of the weekend, this time as the headline act with CARRTOONS joining him on bass. From the first note played on his Rhodes piano, the crowd was hypnotized by Kiefer’s twinkling notes and riffing over droning synths. For “Superman,” Carr and drummer Diego Ramirez paired up to play a funky rhythm line for Kiefer to play off of. He added smooth chords with sporadic chords on the Rhodes to keep the crowd intrigued and showcased his skills well. Kiefer then admitted that he auditioned for Abraham Laborie’s band—the most recorded bassist of all time who famously worked with Quincy Jones—and had no idea who he was. Luckily, he ended up joining the band and living next to him, receiving free music lessons from the legend. With this story, he introduced “Be Encouraged,” a phrase often said by Laborie. As a nod to the expert bassist, Carr played a great bass line that paired well with Kiefer’s floating notes on keys.
The appreciation for bass continued at the Fort Stage with enormous sound. Outside of being the Artistic Director of the entire festival, Christian McBride also fronts his own big band on double bass and bass guitar. The nine-time Grammy winner was joined by a wall of brass, woodwinds and percussion that meshed well with his iconic bass playing. McBride and his band transitioned easily between varying eras of jazz, displaying their expertise in the genre. Before Cécile McLorin Salvant’s early evening set, McBride brought her out to sing a couple of songs with the band, one of which was performed by just McBride on double bass and Savant on vocals. As if one surprise guest wasn’t enough, McBride also brought out Rhode Island native and former L.T.D. lead singer Jeffrey Osborne to sing a few songs, including L.T.D.’s hit “Back In Love Again.” McBride’s contagious positive energy was present for the entire weekend, but his engaging performance brought it to the next level.
After McBride’s performance, many attendees stayed put at the Fort Stage to experience what would be an unforgettable live performance from De La Soul. Making sure the crowd that packed the standing area was fully involved with the set, they comically started a song over to make sure everyone was two-stepping. Kelvin Mercer, aka Posdnuos, gassed up the crowd and said, “You all look beautiful in the sun,” maintaining the unwavering positivity the group emits. Throughout the set, they called out to the late and great member of the group, David Jolicoeur, by saying “thank you, Dave” and looking up into the sunny sky. Ensuring their set ended with a party, the group mashed up “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’” and “Me Myself and I,” sending the crowd into a dancing and cheering frenzy.
Coming off a stunning guest appearance with Christian McBride’s Big Band, Cécile McLorin Salvant entered the Quad Stage with a beaming smile. Written by Salvant in honor of the late author Toni Morrison, “What does blue mean to you?” featured Salvant’s precise diction and spanning vocal range. An elated “ahh” rushed through the crowd as Salvant softly uttered, “What’s it all about,” as many were excited to hear how Salvant would make the Dionne Warwick hit “Alfie” her own. Salvant exceeded the audience’s expectations, bearing notable emotion in each note and not going one line without being met with cheers at the end. To continue the vocal prowess trend on the Quad Stage, seasoned vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Esperanza Spalding was next to take the stage. Surprising the audience, Spalding began with a cover of “I Want It Now” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which showcased her spanning vocal range and artistic piano skills. During “Dance The Animal (mind),” Spalding displayed her expert knowledge of the double bass as her fingers sprinted up and down its neck, and the dancers that accompanied her moved with each pluck.
For the final set of the weekend, musical genius Jacob Collier took over the Fort Stage with his array of instruments and talented band. Collier asked the crowd, “Who here would like the funk?” Collier picked up a bass guitar and began the funky bass line for “Time Alone With You,” which featured stratospheric riffs and harmonies from his backup vocalists. To honor his late mentor Quincy Jones, Collier sang a cover of “Misty” as a nod to Jones’ arrangement of the track for Sarah Vaughan that was performed at Newport Jazz, notably in 1967. As a beautiful sunset came into view, Collier knew it would be a great time for his famous audience choir. Assigning sections of the crowd with starting notes, he moved between sections, conducting his arms higher or lower to shift the harmonies. By the end, the Fort Stage crowd sounded as though they were an orchestral choir performing in a grand hall, and everyone cheered in amazement once Collier brought the choir to a close.
After selling out completely for the last two years, the Newport Jazz Festival has become the best place to be on the first weekend of August. Though it’s widely known that the festival is rich in history, each artist who graced the stages at Fort Adams expressed their gratitude to be able to perform where their idols once stood. “Is jazz dead?” plagues the minds of many musicians and music lovers, but Newport Jazz Festival reveals that it is alive and well.