This past weekend, the long-running Newport Jazz Festival returned to Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI for its annual three-day event.
Since the lineup was announced back in early June, fans of the jams have had their eye on a new supergroup on the lineup, the “Jam Jawn.” Led by virtuosic bassist Christian McBride, the jazz/jam crossover set was billed as a collaboration between McBride and fellow renowned instrumentalists John Scofield (guitar), Joe Russo (drums), and Marco Benevento (keys)—all musicians equally renowned for their highly trained jazz chops as they are for their propensity for full-band improv.
As McBride, the festival’s artistic director, told Post Genre ahead of the performance, “It is going to be interesting. It’s going to be 45 minutes of grooving. I don’t know what will be inside of that groove but it will be grooving at least.”
Related: Joe Russo Talks Finding A New Home For JRAD At Westville Music Bowl [Interview]
When the band hit the stage at Newport, the quartet was also augmented by harpist Mikaela Davis, bringing the four-piece up to a quintet. The additions to the lineup didn’t stop there, as members of David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, which performed earlier in the day, as well as saxophonist Stuart Bogie eventually joined the ensemble to contribute additional accompaniment and a slew of impressive horn solos. Of note, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band members Joe Boga, Dan Block, and Wycliffe Gordon all contributed spectacular solos on their respective horns.
Check out a few clips and some professional photos from the improvisational Jam Jawn set at Newport Jazz Festival 2021 below.
The Jam Jawn – Newport Jazz Festival – 8/1/21
[Video: SB Adventures]
The Jam Jawn – Newport Jazz – 8/1/21
[Video: Dennis D]
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