In all the excitement up here at Newport, I neglected to call out the pristine set delivered by Renee Rosnes and her quartet Friday night at the Caramoor Jazz Festival, up in Katonah, NY. Along with durmmer Lewis Nash, bassist Peter Washington, and vibraphonist Steve Taylor, Renee ran through two sets of originals and standards in the intimate-yet-elegant Spanish Courtyard on a clear, cool evening. Rosnes, 49, has been on the scene for some time, but her career seems to have really blossomed of late, which might have something to do with the fact that she's married to another international jazz pianist, Bill Charlap. (This Jazz Times story details their beautiful – if unusual – domestic life in suburban NJ.)
During intermission, I chatted for a bit with festival producer Jim Luce, who's been at the helm since the festival's start in 1993 (making him only four decades shy of George Wein.) When Luce asked me if I was planning to stay the whole weekend, I had to confess my Newport plans but said I'd try to come back on Sunday. "Oh, you can do it," he said matter-of-factly. And, with a lineup today that includes Fred Hersch, John Scofield and Jason Moran, I might just be tempted.
Tickets available at the door; go here for more info.
(P.S. My date for the evening was my mother, Christine, who told me stories about the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals she attended in the mid 60's, including the infamous 1965 festival where Dylan went electric. More on that to come.)
More pics on the photo page.