All Bases Covered at Newport Jazz Festival
July 29-31
NEWPORT, RI, July 2016 – For the six decades that the Newport Jazz Festival has been on the scene, the greatest bass players in jazz – from Ray Brown, Sam Jones and Ron Carter, to Percy Heath, Charlie Haden and Jaco Pastorius – have reigned as lords of the lower frequencies on its stage. That reign continues with four deacons of the down beat – Christian McBride, Dave Holland, Eric Revis and Ben Williams.
The time: 1989. The place: Wynton Marsalis’ New York apartment. The occasion: Marsalis and George Wein – the pianist and Newport Jazz Festival founder/impresario – are engaged in a swinging jam session with a teenage Juilliard bassist from Philadelphia named Christian McBride. As evidenced by his rich and riveting basslines, it was clear to both men that this wunderkind would alter the shape of jazz to come at the change of the century, and beyond. Now, McBride – who made his festival debut in 1991 as a member of The Jazz Futures – returns to Newport on July 29 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino and July 30 at Fort Adams State Park as a part of Chick Corea’s Trilogy with the volcanic drummer Brian Blade. His musical heroes range from Ray Brown to James Brown. He’s covered a wide musical spectrum, from straight-ahead and big band, to fusion and R&B on his CDs as a leader, including Number Two Express, Vertical Vision, The Good Feeling, and his Grammy-winning Live at the Village Vanguard. His sideman gigs include playing with Sting days after 9/11 and performing at the White House. He’s also a media host on his radio shows, The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, on SiriusXM, and National Public Radio’s Jazz Night in America.
The time: 1989. The place: Wynton Marsalis’ New York apartment. The occasion: Marsalis and George Wein – the pianist and Newport Jazz Festival founder/impresario – are engaged in a swinging jam session with a teenage Juilliard bassist from Philadelphia named Christian McBride. As evidenced by his rich and riveting basslines, it was clear to both men that this wunderkind would alter the shape of jazz to come at the change of the century, and beyond. Now, McBride – who made his festival debut in 1991 as a member of The Jazz Futures – returns to Newport on July 29 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino and July 30 at Fort Adams State Park as a part of Chick Corea’s Trilogy with the volcanic drummer Brian Blade. His musical heroes range from Ray Brown to James Brown. He’s covered a wide musical spectrum, from straight-ahead and big band, to fusion and R&B on his CDs as a leader, including Number Two Express, Vertical Vision, The Good Feeling, and his Grammy-winning Live at the Village Vanguard. His sideman gigs include playing with Sting days after 9/11 and performing at the White House. He’s also a media host on his radio shows, The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, on SiriusXM, and National Public Radio’s Jazz Night in America.
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