Newport Jazz Festival Highlights 2009

Vandermark 5 & North Carolina Central Big Band Thrilled the Crowd

Aug 11, 2009

The side stages rocked at the 2009 George Wein CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival 55 as Vandermark 5 and the North Carolina Central Big Band played to enthusiastic crowds.

For 55 years, Newport Rhode Island has been the setting for what has become a legendary jazz festival. Since its inception in 1954, George Wein has brought leading jazz musicians and those who were yet to become jazz stars to this coastal New England town.

From Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, to recent contemporary jazz greats Joshua Redman, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Regina Carter, Diana Krall and the still-performing Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett, the Newport Jazz Festival has lived magnificently for 55 years.

Two exciting performances at the 2009 Jazz Festival in Newport RI occurred on the side stages on Saturday. Both performers were new to the festival – Vandermark 5 and the North Carolina Central Big Band.

Vandermark 5

Ken Vandermark plays reed instruments and is the leader of the Vandermark 5. Having performed primarily in Europe and Scandinavia, the group was thrilled to perform their original music for the first time in the United States at the 2009 Newport Jazz Festival.

This Chicago-based group makes the most of their instruments, playing them in unusual ways in order to create unique sounds. Dave Rempis, the saxophone player, created bird-like chirping sounds for one tune; while cello player, Fred Lonber-Holm, had the audience wondering if the sound was part of the music or a bad speaker in the background. At one point the percussionist, Tim Daisy, dropped a metal cylinder onto the cymbal for sound effect which caused a chuckle to ripple through the audience.

Their very edgy, dissonant sound wasn't for everyone, but a child of about 5 or 6 years old standing on his seat in the back of the tent expressed what most were feeling when he yelled out at the end of one heated jam – "that was awesome" – causing all to pause for a delightful moment. Vandermark 5 received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience, and the attention of Mr. Wein who was standing off to the side of the stage for a good part of the performance.

North Carolina Central Big Band

The other exceptional and unexpected highlight of the day was the North Carolina Central Big Band under the direction of Dr. Ira Wiggins, the Director of Jazz Studies at the historically black North Carolina Central University in Durham NC. This lively and talented big band with 21 members rocked the Waterside Stage with an overflow crowd.

The well-prepared and confident group of young musicians gave their all in a place where jazz legends have performed for 55 years. Solo performances by various members of the band punctuated the performance of this cohesive group. A standing ovation followed the hour-long performance.

According to the university website, the big band has been invited to perform at the 30th annual Detroit Jazz Festival over the Labor Day weekend.

CareFusion Series of Jazz Festivals Around the World

After 55 years of providing the best of jazz in one of the most beautiful locations, George Wein has done it again under the sponsorship of CareFusion. This health care company will continue to keep jazz alive by sponsoring a series of jazz festivals around the world over the next year:

Newport Jazz Festival

The Newport Jazz Festival remains dynamic as it continues to draw crowds after 55 years and counting. Jazz fans wait with anticipation for the following year's line-up and ticket sales to be announced to, once again, be a part of this legendary music festival.

The copyright of the article Newport Jazz Festival Highlights 2009 in Contemporary Jazz is owned by Barbara Shema. Permission to republish Newport Jazz Festival Highlights 2009 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.