The Newport Jazz Festival is coming back, after some hand wringing and corporations changing corporation names, will be back this summer with the legendary George Wein at the helm. (Globe story here) I'm hoping to make it, if only as a show of support for the idea of booking real music at an American jazz festival. I think Mr. Wein has found a solid balance of the bankable, if less than artistically interesting (Brubeck), with the really good (The Bad Plus, Branford) famous and intriguing that could be either amazing or totally suck (Mos Def, Chaka Kahn) with the amazing unfamous who will undoubtably kill (Rudresh Mahanthappa, Charles Gayle). And I'v been to Newport multiple times, and there's always a band who surprises- last year for me it was Christian Scott, who was much better than the image, and this year I'm rooting for either Steve Bernstein's band (I like Steve, but I've heard his band absolutely suck) or the Berklee presents group. But who knows? (The festival website is here)
Locally this week, cellist Jody Redhage hits Boston with her Fire in July trio Saturday at the Kai Aso studio by Symphony Hall. It comes with the blessings of none other than old friend Darcy James Argue, so I'll be there.
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