Is This Jazz? Newport Jazz Festival ’17 Cecile McLorin Salvant, credit: Norman Grant The jazz world descended upon Newport to see some of the music’s legends as well as many of its rising stars. As is always the case with such events, the hardest part of the weekend was catching a significant portion of each great set before running full speed to another stage to try and catch the next historic moment that could be unfolding. It was tough to get it all in, but here are some of the highlights. The festival kicked off Friday with a stellar set from the Jimmy Greene Quartet on the Fort stage. Greene — the saxophonist and band leader — took his quartet through a set of terrific originals, including the flowing groove of “Second Breakfast” off his latest release Flowers. Later on, Cecile McLorin Salvant and the Aaron Diehl Trio took the stage and shattered minds with their beautiful and complex arrangements, including her profound version of “Wives And Lovers.” Having a soft spot for the New Orleans clarinet style, Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road & New Orleans Brass was a much- appreciated addition to the Quad stage with a killer band, locked-in swing and loose group improvisations. The day closed out with Joey DeFrancesco + The People, who were by far the funkiest, most swinging band of the day. DeFrancesco is a monster organ player who demonstrated why he has redefined how the instrument is approached. After leaving the Fort I headed over to watch Rhiannon Giddens and Trombone Shorty each play very different, but equally excellent sets at the Tennis Hall of Fame. Saturday started with “Jazz 100: The Music Of Dizzy, Mongo and Monk,” an all-star salute to some of the pioneers of jazz. The titanic group of Danilo Perez, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen, Josh Roseman, Roman Diaz, Ben Street and Adam Cruz ran through some of the most incredible small ensemble arrangements I have ever witnessed, with each musician playing not only to the peak of their individual abilities but also masterfully blending as an ensemble. Later, on the small confines of the Storyville Stage, trumpeter Peter Evans performed his solo composition “Lifeblood” that stretched the limits of what is possible on the trumpet and quite honestly, totally changed my concept of what a solo horn performance could be. One of the most moving sets to witness was “Flying Toward The Sound: For Geri, With Love.” The love and reverence that Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington have for Geri Allen was in the air and the addition of Christian Sands, Vijay Iyer, and Jason Moran filling in on piano and paying their respects added to the feeling. Not only was the performance amazing, but the spirit was moving heavily throughout the Quad. The day ended split between Henry Threadgill Zooid’s intense, dynamic compositions and Snarky Puppy’s groove-infested arrangements. Even though it was the final day of the festival, Sunday had some of the most memorable performances. The Maria Schneider Orchestra began the day with a mesmerizing and incredibly inspiring set of some of the finest large ensemble jazz ever composed, played by some of the best musicians around. Moving over to the Harbor Stage, Tim Berne’s Snakeoil locked in and burned through some of the most exciting, entrancing group improvisation that you could ever hope to hear. Jason Moran brought his wildly entertaining and musically vibrant “Fats Waller Dance Party” to the Fort Stage, inviting the audience to dance and revel in celebration of one of jazz’s late greats. The Philadelphia Experiment — the trio of Questlove, Christian McBride, and Uri Caine — held down the Quad Stage with a tight pocket and deep groove, with special guest DJ Logic joining in on turntables. Closing out the Storyville Stage was the Newport Jazz Assembly Band, a group of young musicians that was formed to support the Festival Foundation’s mission of bringing jazz into local schools, with a killer set of standards and originals that showcased every member’s immense talent and deep love for this music. The final performance of the festival went to The Roots who proved their status as the world’s baddest band by showcasing both their jazz chops and high energy stage presence. While the lineups for the past couple of years have been great, this was one of the strongest, most diverse sets of artists I have ever seen at the festival, and it made for a fantastic three days. Be sure to get your ticket for next year and I’ll see you at the Fort! Happening Around Town: The John Allmark Jazz Orchestra; first Monday monthly @ The Met (Pawtucket) Is This Jazz?; first Friday, bimonthly @ AS220 (Providence) isthisjazz.tumblr.com Allary At Arias; Sundays @ Arias Lounge (Providence) Groove Merchants; Mondays @ Fifth Element (Newport) Jazz Jam; Tuesdays @ Ten Rocks (Pawtucket) Groove E Tuesday; Tuesdays @ Murphy’s Law (Pawtucket) Parlour Jazz Jam; third Sunday each month @ The Parlour (Providence) Jeff Platz Quartet’s Modern Sound Series; last Sunday each month @ Tea In Sahara (Providence) To add your listing please email [email protected]. Ben Shaw is a local composer and performer. Find him at ahueofshaw.tumblr.com or on Twitter @ahueofshaw. Album of the Week: The Two Tens – On Repeat On Repeat by The Two Tens Along with being the home for the majority of today’s pop music garbage, Los Angeles has become the epicenter for the 2010s garage-rock explosion. The Two Tens are a fiery duo from the City of Angels that can cause a ruckus. Their sophomore release On Repeat is coming out Aug 18 via Man Della Records and it’s a banger of an album. Guitarist and vocalist Adam Bones oozes endless swagger while Rikki Styxx brings the thunder on drums. Together they create a rad sound that’s intense and harmonious. As each track rolls through, On Repeat pummels the eardrums with powerful beats and electrifying riffs. There are elements of surf and ‘60s pop that singe the garage-rock heavy tones. Both Bones and Styxx are unapologetically up-front and unrelentingly emphatic. Even the songs that ride the chorus more are still amplified and noisy. Nothing lets up in the album and there are no generic fillers: What the listeners hear is what they’re getting. It must feel a bit weird for older music fans to be in an age where two-piece rock bands are the norm. They probably still ask “Where’s your bass player?” every time they see one live. I personally don’t care as long as a two-piece act can bring it as loud as a trio or a quartet. With On Repeat, The Two Tens definitely make good on that. To see how solid these guys really are, let’s take a look at my top tracks off of the Album of the Week: The title track is a charismatic love song that absolutely shreds with the chorus being bound to stick in your head, dare I say it, on repeat. “Keeping Hope Alive” is one of those songs that leans toward the pop realm; Bones and Styxx also provide stellar harmonies. Distorted and dirty, “Not Alright” is anchored by Styxx’s drumming while Bones yells on vocals; it’s very angsty and it’s just what your pissed-off friend, or self, needs after a rough day. The Two Tens will be ringing in the release of On Repeat with fellow Angelinos Go Betty Go and The Katellas at The Satellite in the bands’ hometown on Aug 16. They’ll also be doing a pay-what-you-want on-line celebration through StageIt! on Aug 20. Hopefully they come through the New England area sometime soon. By Aug 18, grab a copy of On Repeat: It’s an album that surely lives up to its name. Stream the title track via Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/user-985902885-887977517/on-repeat Pre-order On Repeat (CD, vinyl, digital available): mandellarecords.com/shop/ The Two Tens’ web site: thetwotens.com 2nd Annual Warren Folk’s Festival: Music, Food, Beer 2nd Annual Warren Folk’s Festival at 30 Cutler Street. In its second year, the Warren Folk’s Festival is 2-8pm, Sunday, Aug 6, at 30 Cutler Street community arts and business space. It’s a family-friendly event that has tons of fun going on. Fuzzy drum-and-bass duo Junior Beat, singer-songwriter Jodie Treolar, psych-folk act Viking Jesus, alternative rock trio Six Star General, rootsy blues act The Low Cards, folk rock dynamos Ian Fitzgerald & Something Else and Natural Vibes featuring members of the reggae act Natural Element will be performing. Eli’s Kitchen and Balasco’s Pizzeria, among others, will have food available. There will be a craft beer tent featuring brews from Lagunitas Brewing Company, Whalers Brewing Company, Two Roads Brewing Company, Left Hand Brewing Company and more. To make sure everyone can get involved, there will be games and a craft table for the kids occupied. The small town of Warren, RI, is admirably weird and unique. There are places like the Imagine Gift Store with arts, crafts, and figurines. The Galactic Theatre has become the coolest live music venue in the East Bay. Jack’s Bar is one of the best dives in the state and there are plenty of restaurants serving amazing food. Warren’s arts and music community is a major part of the town’s culture as well. The Folk’s Festival is free admission but all the proceeds will be going to the arts organization The Collaborative to help with their mission of bringing meaningful and fun events to the community of Warren and to provide an environment that supports, encourages and celebrates the diverse talents within Rhode Island.