Missing Newport Jazz Festival this year? Listen to past festivals here!
The Newport Jazz Festival is the grandaddy of all jazz festivals being one of the oldest and longest running music festivals in America. Due to the pandemic, the festival won’t be taking place this year and jazz fans around the globe are heartbroken. Do you know the story of Duke Ellington’s 1956 performance at the festival? When the normally sedate crowd was on their feet dancing in the aisles provoked by Paul Gonsalves’ 27-chorus saxophone solo in the middle of Ellington’s “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue”? When his solo ended, Gonsalves collapsed in exhaustion, Ellington himself took over for two choruses of piano solo before the full band returned. Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avINkychVpc
Not to worry, the Newport Jazz Festival will be back in 2021 and although it’s no replacement, you can listen to some Newport Jazz Festivals past here:
https://www.wbgo.org/post/
Some have already aired on the radio but there’s more coming for the next two weekends. You can listen online at:
https://www.wbgo.org/live-
July 23: The Golden Age
July 24: The Stars Shine
July 25: The Modern All-Stars
