Newport Jazz Festival 2013 has a great talent mix

With the proliferation of artists and venues over the past three decades, competition for the entertainment dollar has gotten mighty fierce across the United States. Consumers have just so much to spend over the course of a season, and tend to make their choices early.

Newport Jazz Festival organizers rolled out their August lineup in April or May for many years. That’s no longer the case. The stellar lineup for the August 2 to 4 event is out today… and tickets go on sale on Thursday, January 17.

There is always a great mix of jazz giant headliners and younger talent to keep an eye on.  2013 will be no exception. Natalie Cole, the Bill Charlap trio and Cole’s uncle, Freddie Cole, open the weekend at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino.
  

Saturday and Sunday programs at Fort Adams State Park will include Wayne Shorter’s 80th birthday celebration with his quartet and special guest Herbie Hancock, as well as Chick Corea, Eddie Palmieri’s salsa orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band led by Paquito d’Rivera, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Roy Haynes, Jim Hall, Claudia Acuña, saxophonist Steve Coleman in three different formats, and rising stars Esparanza Spalding, Gregory Porter, Edmar Castañeda, Hiromi and Jon Batiste. There are many more on the bill, and even more to be added later.

George Wein

This lineup is so strong and diverse, it is scary to think what festival founding producer George Wein has up his sleeve for the 60th anniversary event in 2014.  

Like this year, it likely will include superstars and rising talent given Wein’s philosophy: "The memories of historic performances by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Mahalia Jackson and just about every jazz great alive since 1950 linger. But, looking forward after all these years is what keeps us searching for the young musicians who will replace the legends of the golden age of jazz.” 

Updates will be forthcoming from the festival website.