ON TO THE NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL
This event is purported to be the biggest jazz festival in America, but it felt cozy and almost quaint in a strange east coast seaside sort of way, even though the event is held on the grounds of the Fort Adams State Park located on the coast of Rhode Island. It all felt very anachronistic. There were battlements here and there and cavernous concrete buildings with chipping paint and open grassy fields… and… jazz.
Some big time old skoolers were there, like Dave Brubeck accompanied by his wife, Ron Carter and Roy Haynes (a 84-year-old maniac!). My shining moment was turning towards the back stage tunnel entrance and seeing Tony Bennett encroaching with his entourage. He walked right by me and I touched his arm; we exchanged professional smiles. Of course, I just had to call my dad.
What dulled that shining moment was realizing that he was performing while we were… which pretty much took our entire audience away. But hey—I’ll give my audience to Tony Bennett any day. He’s earned it.
My camera was running low on battery power, so the pics are scant and random but the last one was a surprise encounter with our shepherd from Moscow, who had moved from Russia to the east coast and gotten married. She had made a special trip to hear us with her shiny new husband. Katya… seeing you was the highlight of my day… even better than rubbing elbows with Tony Bennett.
