Advance Planning

The Newport Jazz Festival

The Newport Jazz Festival program has been announced. Among the artists performing are Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Robert Glasper and Natalie Cole. Here's the complete lineup. Tickets are on now on sale.

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The festival is takes place Friday through Sunday, August 2-4. The Friday night event is held in downtown at the Newport Casino. Reserved seats cost between $40 and $100. Two-day passes to the festival at Fort Adams State Park are $74 ($84 at the door). If you want to sit up front, there are reserved seats for $90 and $125.

I've only been to the Newport Jazz Festival once. The venue is much smaller than it looks in photographs. You have to take a bus from the parking lot to the entrance. The factor which limits attendance, however, is not tickets. It's very difficult to get a room in or around Newport, so you must plan well in advance.

Wayne Shorter

On February 15, Artist Share will will release a CD recorded last year, not at the festival, but at the “Newport Jazz Festival Gala event” held in conjunction with it. Performers on the CD include Dianne Reeves, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Anat Cohen, Lionel Loueke and others.

Chicago Blues Festival

2013 is the 30^th anniversary of the Chicago Blues Festival. For the first time, it has been expanded from three to four days, June 6-9. It is held in Grant Park and admission is free. The lineup has not yet been announced. I'll keep you posted.