Bridging the Gap Between Folk and Jazz Fests in Newport: Bridgefest The quaintness of Newport makes it the perfect location to spend a summer night, whether you’re listening to music at Fort Adams or just grabbing a drink at one of the many bars that lie on Thames Street. The last two weeks of July, however, usher in an unparalleled wonder in the form of the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. But with four days between the two festivals, music junkies become antsy for their next fix. Fear not, music junkies, the Newport Festivals Foundation, the organization responsible for Folk and Jazz Fests, is bringing Bridgefest to the masses of Newport from July 25 to 28. “The Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival have contributed to Newport’s narrative as an ultimate summer destination throughout the years,” said Jill Davidson, festival director of the Newport Festivals Foundation. “Bridgefest aims to do the same by keeping the festival spirit and excitement going strong during the week between the festivals.” On April 28, the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County sold their ownership of the prodigious festival to the Newport Festivals Foundation in hopes of extending the reach of the seven-year tradition. Luckily for us music lovers, that means four days of nonstop beats and rhythms that will shake Newport to its core. “There wasn’t much to ‘fix’ about Bridgefest,” said Davidson. “Just like at the Newport Folk Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival, it all comes down to the music, and what you’ll hear at Bridgefest this year is akin to the great folk and jazz you’ve come to expect from our festivals.” Everywhere from Bowen’s Wharf to the Newport Vineyards is contributing to the grandeur, and with music going until 1am, Newport will certainly never remain quiet for too long. To the surprise of many, no plans have been made for any artists from either of the bookend festivals to join in the festivities, but time will tell. I mean, Norah Jones is in town for both weekends, so who knows? “It’s always a possibility for the future as Bridgefest continues to grow,” added Davidson. Easily the most enticing music-esque event of Bridgefest is the Tribute to Miles Davis occurring at the Jane Pickens Theater the night before the Jazz Fest kickoff. The Doug Woolverton Sextet, the house band for the evening, will run through Davis’ 1958 Jazz Festival performance, which, in case you haven’t heard, is the pinnacle of live jazz albums, providing a proper segue into Jazz Fest weekend. Bowen’s Wharf, most notably, will be the only venue all weekend offering free music nightly during Busking at Bowens. This scenic venue will host a variety of local acts including Panoramic View and Thatcher Harrison, with Coole Swan pouring some of their famous Superior Irish Cream Liqueur every night. Coming to Newport with kiddos? Fort Adams will host a folk and jazz-centric family concert on Wednesday, July 27, featuring the delightfully playful Alastair Moock and the smooth stylings of the Newport Jazz Assembly. Other notable music ventures during the week include the Sights and Sounds of Shangri-La at Doris Duke’s Rough Point Estate on Wednesday, July 27; Steve Deconti at the OceanCliff Hotel on Monday, July 25; and MatthewFest at Greenvale Vineyards on Tuesday, July 26. Looking for food? On Tuesday, July 26, the Canfield House will host an upscale dinner for all you folks with a taste for the finer things in life while on Thursday, July 28, the Newport Vineyards will host a Jazz & Wine Clambake with local clams from McGrath Clambakes. Shuck yeah! Unlike previous years, music will undoubtedly be the central focus of the festival with little to no options outside of the musical and culinary realms. This, however, will play to the Newport Festivals Foundation strengths, allowing for a deeper emphasis on their mission rather than providing a hodge- podge of events. “Community is what the Newport Festivals Foundation comes down to, from the bonds that we’ve formed with Newport and our festival audiences over the years to the students who benefit from our music education initiatives,” explained Jay Sweet, executive producer of the Newport Festivals Foundation. “An opportunity like this, to expand the ways we can bring music to the Newport community and the broader music-loving public, is what we’re all about.” Dirtying Up the Kayak A few weeks ago, I stood in my garage and looked at my kayak hanging from a mount on the wall. There were still streaks of dried mud smeared across it and shriveled-up weeds stuck to the seat from adventures past. I never bother to clean it because I like how it looks when it has been used. The only question was where and when my first voyage of the year would be. I shot a text message out to a few of my adventure buddies. Within minutes, the plan materialized. On that coming Sunday, we would go kayak fishing on the Hunt River in North Kingstown. Sunday came, and we arrived at our spot. It was a slow moving river, perfect for a mellow day on the water. My friends dropped in before me while I peed in some brush. I knew we would be paddling for a good part of the day, and there wasn’t going to be another opportunity to do so for a while. I finished my business, then zipped up and dropped in. We made our way upriver against the current, which is usually the better way to start your day. After a long day of paddling, you do not want to fight the current on the way back. I have made that mistake before, and I won’t again. The plan was to go fishing for bass, pickerel, trout or whatever was biting. Everyone chose their preferred lure while I chose the kind I always dig out. That would be the in-line spinner, or roostertail, as they are often referred to. They are my favorite style of lure to fish with. They are known for catching fish in big numbers, but not necessarily big fish, and I am okay with that. I decided to start the day with a golden yellow one. Our little fleet of three kayaks and one canoe made its way upriver, occasionally backing up and wedging ourselves into the brush on the side. This prevents the current from pushing us back downstream as we cast our lines. We would try a spot for a few minutes, then paddle farther upriver where we would back into the side and try again. As the day rolled on, none of us were getting any bites. It was really hot and we were losing steam. Little by little, we stopped fighting the river and let it push us downstream as we fished our way back at a more leisurely pace. Still, we got no bites. The day wasn’t over yet. Back at our trucks we decided to drive over to a little pond that runs off the Pawtuxet River in West Warwick. I suggested this spot because I always seem to have luck there. I changed from my golden yellow roostertail to a silver one with red fur. It was a very sunny day and I figured the silver would reflect more light. I dropped in and paddled my way dangerously close to a dam with a waterfall. Once again I was fighting the current. I had to constantly check to make sure I was not moving too close to the edge of the dam as to not go over it. The water usually gets deeper just before a dam, and I catch fish in spots like that fairly often. This tactic is dangerous and I do not recommend it, but it is what I did, and it paid off. On my first cast, I had a fish on. It was a largemouth bass, and the first fish of the day. I was on the board. As usual, after the first catch of the day, my interest in fishing waned for a bit and I focused more on kayaking. I crept up the pond pretty close to the edge. The trees on the side provided shade and broke up the wind that was pushing against me in the middle of the pond. There were some shallow areas that made me glad to be using a sit-on-top kayak. The whole device floats on top of the water as opposed to the sit-inside kind. With these, you sit below the surface level of the water, and subsequently, might bottom out in weedy or shallow spots. The sit-on-top style is more ideal in these situations, at least in my opinion, but there are a lot of styles of kayaks for many different purposes. Again we reached the point where we were sick of fighting the current and let ourselves drift back. A pond is usually a great place to kayak because of its still water, but this pond had a waterfall that created a current similar to the river’s. The ride back is always nicer, but it ends quicker. I managed to catch another bass and a pickerel on the way. Not a bad day. We dragged our kayaks back to the truck. Mine has a rope tied to the front, which helps with the dragging. We tied them up, gave some fist bumps, and went our separate ways with the promise of another adventure in the near future.