Newport Jazz Festival 2013

[Blue Train]

It's being streamed by NPR for anyone interested.

http://www.npr.org/event/music/15612062 ... z-festival

[Mike Schwartz]

It's being streamed by NPR for anyone interested.

http://www.npr.org/event/music/15612062 ... z-festival

Thanks Blue....streaming at the office right now

[Ron Thorne]

Thanks for the link, BT!

[steve(thelil)]

I feel weird saying this, but people who streamed it might have enjoyed it more than I did attending.

The festival site is drop dead gorgeous. The main stage views a beautiful wide harbor with a bridge and a zillion boats.

The sound on all three stages was excellent.

The variety of music and quality of the performers was top notch.

What's the problem? That's what Jan and I were trying to figure out. Whatever the underlying causes, the main problem was that the attendees did not not seem to be having a particularly good time. In stark contrast to the Saratoga and New Orleans tests, people were not smiling, laughing, partying or grooving. Even for Eddie Palmieri and Dirty Dozen, people were not standing and dancing, or swaying, or even moving their heads. Sure there were a few, but very few. And even walking around, nobody seemed that happy. Nobody was laughing. It felt like they were attending a cultural event like an art opening than a party. Even when Eddie Palmieri told the crowd how much the band loved to see people up on their feet. NOBODY DID.

Part of it has to be the lack of alcohol. It was not permitted on site, except in two nice beer gardens. But even they were not crowded. And there were uniformed police standing right inside by the bar.

Oh yeah. I've never been at a large public event where a uniformed police and security presence either less needed - or more evident. It probably is the City's fault rather than the festival promoters' - the same firm promotes Saratoga Jazz where people can bring booze, large coolers and even cooking equipment and EVERYONE feels like they are at a big party.

The bad vibe started with the bag check to get in. They not only checked the small cooler they allowed, they opened every compartment and zipper on/in my backpack and reached inside every one, no matter how small. In other words, they were not just trying to ensure the safety and comfort of other attendees. They were hoping to bust people.

Lastly, maybe the whole area is just TOO mind numbingly beautiful, so that the festival site is taken for granted. Because people seemed mind numbingly calm. There was just no energy in the place to be shared. The lack of economic and ethnic diversity probably contributed heavily to this. It felt like someone tried to hold a jazz concert at a huge yacht club. It just felt wrong.

Jan was kind of bummed the whole day by the vibe. I took her afterwards to a large divey bar in Narragansett that had 2 geezers playing rock cover songs and dozens of middle aged people singing along and dancing up a storm. It was exactly the remedy we needed.

Maybe I'm jaded because I've seen and heard so much live music, at festivals and elsewhere, and live in NYC where I see world class entertainment all the time. But again, it wasn't just me. Virtually nobody there seemed excited about the music they were seeing and hearing. It will be a memorable day, but for the wrong reasons.

[Blue Train]

Flip side of that was Lollapalooza had record crowds of 100,000+ each day this year and the police were not that noticeable....and there is beer allowed. It was even raining and muddy early on Friday and people were still enjoying themselves.

You really have to be going out of your way to get arrested @ Lollapalooza.

Just checked....there was a total of 10 drug related arrests (all of them felonies....including one guy with 15 grams of Ecstasy...as in, not exactly personal usage arrests.) for example out of 300,000+ people that went.

[Blue Train]

P.S. For anyone that missed the streaming.....they have 12 of the performances available.

http://www.npr.org/event/music/15612062 ... z-festival

[7/4]

I liked that Wayne Shorter set....and Mary Halvorson and Jim Hall too.





there's still more to check out.

[uli]

Dug the Halvorson set Haven't gotten around to hear Shorter or Hall yet.

Enjoy Ray Anderson right now.

[steve(thelil)]

Enjoyed the Halvorsen and Glasper files. The highlight for me live was the Hall/Lage set. I think Lewis Nash was on drums, but I might be getting my sets confused.

[ValerieB]

how was Gregory Porter received? I've never seen a performance of his that people didn't react by swinging, clapping, smiling, etc.

P.S. I just listened to Gregory's set at Newport and I have to assume Steve(thelil) didn't hear it. the audience responded very strongly as they usually do. it sounded like a very lively, well-appreciated, swinging set to me. if you're so inclined, you guys can judge for yourselves:

http://www.npr.org/event/music/15612062 ... z-festival

[steve(thelil)]

how was Gregory Porter received? I've never seen a performance of his that people didn't react by swinging, clapping, smiling, etc.

P.S. I just listened to Gregory's set at Newport and I have to assume Steve(thelil) didn't hear it. the audience responded very strongly as they usually do. it sounded like a very lively, well-appreciated, swinging set to me. if you're so inclined, you guys can judge for yourselves:

http://www.npr.org/event/music/15612062 ... z-festival

Valerie is right that I didn't hear Gregory Porter's set.