- Title: UNITED STATES: THOUSANDS GATHER FOR ANNUAL HISTORIC NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL
- Date: 3rd August 2000
- Summary: KUTI SINGING
- Embargoed: 18th August 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts,General
- Reuters ID: LVA167JDPVEW0CQBWX79A8DRZLFD
- Story Text: Oh so-cool jazz artists Dave Brubeck, Dianne Reeves, Celia Cruz, Femi Kuti, and Maceo Parker treated music lovers to an eclectic mix of jazz, rhythm and blues, Afro-Beat, salsa and funk at the 2000 JVC Newport Jazz Festival.
Thousands gathered in Newport, Rhode Island to experience the US coastal town's historic jazz festival.
Singer Dianne Reeves set the tone at Fort Adams State Park by telling the crowd to "sit back, relax, stomp your feet, clap your hands, shout amen - whatever makes you feel good is ok."
Reeves told Reuters that audience participation is an essential part of her performance.
"They add to that magical mix that happens on stage between me and my musicians," she says.
"They're free and they're open and they respond and so that makes for a very inspired experience."
Smooth jazz artists Boney James and Rick Braun brought most of the crowd to its feet during their active stage performance.
The saxophonist and trumpeter recently released a collaboration album, Shake It Up, which has climbed to the top of the contemporary jazz charts.
They told Reuters that they enjoyed working as a team.
"We realize the value of putting on a good show and having people really enjoy hearing the music," said Braun.
"We've been having a lot of fun, that's for sure," added James.
The festival strayed from its roots by bringing in a wide variety of musical artists to perform this year.
Nigerian Afro-Beat star Femi Kuti and his band Positive Force shook up the some times reserved festival with their explosive rhythm and energy.
Kuti confessed that he was a little nervous before he went on stage.
"I mean you read about these things in books in Africa you know. You read about them, and then you arrive at the venue and you don't know what people are going to expect. It's very strange. And you just have to go out there and just play".
Latin legend and "Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz kept the audience heated up with her brand of Afro-Cuban tunes.
Cruz told Reuters that the festival's crowd was different from most of the musical venues she plays.
"I feel most of the public (in Newport) that comes to see me is Anglo-Saxon rather -than Latin American. In any case, it is a nice public because if they come to see me it means that they like my work."
Other musical genres brought into the festival mix were funk and rhythm and blues.
Deep Banana Blackout, one of the youngest bands playing the event, entertained audience members at the festival's smaller stage. The group's guitarist, Fuzz, told Reuters that he felt at home playing the festival.
Saxophonist Maceo Parker brought funk to the main stage on Sunday. Parker, who for years played with James Brown, said that he is energized by playing festivals like Newport.
"I love performing, I love people, I love music, I love on the stage," he says.
"And I guess, collectively all of these different loves keep me going and it's easy to draw from that."
There wouldn't be a Newport festival without at least one jazz legend.
Pianist Dave Brubeck kicked off the festival on its opening night. It was Brubeck's 18th appearance at the annual event and the 80-year-old pianist says he keeps performing because he believes it's a necessity.
"You have to it, so you do it. A lot of times when you're on one night you're exhausted but you still do it, "
said Brubeck.
The jazz festival began back in the 1950's to make summers more entertaining in the old coastal town. For decades since the festival has served as a virtual magnet for jazz fans and musicians alike.
Performers over the years have included musical greats Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Aretha Franklin. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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