Jazz seems to be everywhere at the moment, with no less than three notable festivals happening out of town this weekend. First and foremost is the venerable Newport Jazz Festival, first produced by George Wein in 1954. Incredibly, Wein – now 85 -is still at the helm as the festival's main producer. Among the expected highlights this year are sets from Wynton Marsalis, Regina Carter, Ravi Coltrane and Dave Brubeck, who first played Newport back in 1955.
Closer to home, the Caramoor Jazz Festival will be held this weekend at the elegant Venetian Theater in Katonah, NY, about an hour's drive north of the city. Renee Rosnes, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride and John Scofield are among the invited guests.
Finally, the Litchfield Jazz Festival, now in its 16th year, will be held in the rural town of Kent in the northwest corner of Connecticut. Guest artists include everyone from young upstarts like Trombone Shorty and Vijay Iyer, to old favorites such as Roy Haynes and Jimmy Heath.
I've got my car and hotels lined up, with a game plan to hit all three events. (At least, that's the plan.) Check back for details throughout the weekend.