Carefusion JazzFestival 55 Review

I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Care Fusion Jazz Festival 55 in Newport, Rhode Island and it was one of the best weekends of the summer for me. The festival was held at Fort Adams State Park which is located at the mouth of the Newport Harbor with great views of the harbor which was how I got the festival on a water taxi.

Saturday was beautiful clear skies and above normal temperatures with a slight breeze coming off the harbor made for a beautiful setting to listen to some of the best jazz artists playing today. We arrived to the sound of Esperenza Spalding whose sound was more modern but upbeat and her amazing voice complimented her band’s sound. We could barely find a spot for grooving to her music. We found a spot and waited on The Joshua Redman Double Trio to come up next. So while waiting we took a tour of the grounds which featured amazing artists on two smaller stages. There were also vendors who were selling paintings, sculptures, soaps, and of course jazz merchandise. There was also a wide range of food vendors we started off with cheeseburgers and Italian sausage which were both very good. The frozen lemonade was really good also. If you wanted cocktails you could walk down the harbor to the liquor tents and enjoy a great view of the boats with your drinks. The Joshua Redman Double Trio kicked off by running through some of his work heavy on his traditional saxophone play it was well worth the wait. He closed by doing a standard number and letting everyone in the trio get some shine and showcase their skills. As we wanted more he had to go so that the Branford Marsalis Quartet could come and get the audience going with his horn. Branford was on fire playing with passion and zest and it seemed he was in sync with the beautiful weather playing smooth and clean.

The last act of the day was the most interesting Mos Def and The Watermelon Syndicate I didn’t know how they would fit in a jazz festival. Mos Def came out to the band playing and he ran through some of his new tracks which were cool he also sang and he really isn’t a bad singer it really flowed which surprised some of the more traditional jazz fans in the house. My favorite part was he did a tribute to Michael Jackson over the Human Nature song and it was nice but what got me was he kicked into “Umi Says” and that just set the crowd off old, young. Black, white it didn’t’ matter we were all standing and singing.

We arrived a little late on Sunday due to the weather it was suppose to rain but it didn’t and I am so glad it didn’t I would’ve missed the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet who were playing when we arrived. I am a big jazz fan and to hear him live was amazing they played classics like “Taking the A Train” which sounded great live. The saxophone player was beyond amazing the energy he put out was powerful it seemed to have a hold on the crowd. Antonia Bennett followed and she has a great voice she sang traditional jazz songs and her piano player was very good. I was anxious to see Tony Bennett and he was awesome wow his voice hasn’t lost anything he did some classics and told stories which was really cool. He brought Mr. Dave Brubeck out jam with him which sent it to a whole nether level. The drummer for Tony Bennett was also a drummer for Duke Ellington and he was amazing.

If you’re not busy next August please check out George Wein’s Jazz Festival 55 in Newport, RI you will enjoy great music, panoramic views, and the best seafood they have to offer.

Foreign Exchange Concert Review 6/7/09

The Foreign Exchange show last night was off da chain…A Sunday night church service you had to be there for. If you haven’t heard them live then you should it’s an amazing show featuring Phonte on vocals who can carry a tune and has the charisma and energy to get the crowd going. Yazarah wow what can I say her voice is amazing she hit all the notes and her reggae skills were on point. My man Darien Brockington (D Brock) brought the soulful vocals to the service and then let loose during his sermon performing “Come Around” from the connected album. The group ran through songs from their latest cd Leave it All Behind including two of my favorites “Take off the Blues” which all three vocalists were sanging on hitting deep in the groove making your head move and “All or Nothing” which the beat alone will have you moving and yes Phonte Chi-town knew about the mini-song after. One of the best moments of the show was the sermon on the difference between a love song and a song about love a classic breakdown and yes there is a difference. The group did “I Wanna Know” and we were treated to the keyword in saving a relationship “Oooookkkkkkkk”. The sermon as I mentioned earlier by Mr. Darien Brockington was amazing “Come Around” from the first cd “Connected” a funk face and soul hand crowd moving joint that you must be a witness of. The show wound down with a couple of Little Brother jams which had the body grooving and then the 90’s jam “Written All Over Your Face” cover was off the chain they got down on that one and I didn’t like the song. A show with passion, energy, charisma, and just some damn good music. Thank you Foreign Exchange….

Chrisette Michele Experience 5/4/09

The Chrisette Michelle Experience was one of the most entertaining events I have attended in a long time. The conversation between the host Dedry Jones and Chrisette Michelle was beautiful and intimate, as if we were all in a coffee shop, quiet restaurant booth, or in the living room at home just talking and being ourselves. Chrisette was very honest, and engaging which was very refreshing. She talked of her upbringing in Long Island and her entry into music at a young age through the church her family attended. Her passion for music was evident in not only her words but her mannerisms when she spoke of the greats Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. I found it particularly interesting her stories of growing up in a very big extended family and how proud she was of that and her thirst for learning about different cultures which can only add to an artist’s growth.

The musical portion of this Experience was one of the best that I have attended because of the heart and soul she puts into her music. As Dedry played songs that she had collaborated on with Jay-Z, Nas, The Legendary Roots Crew, and The Game you could see her bobbing her head to the music like she was back in the studio recording her part. As a huge hip hop fan this is how I was first introduced to her beautiful and sultry voice. When she spoke of how writing all of your music isn’t always a good thing I found that to be a very honest realization on her part and a big contribution to her growth as an artist. The stories behind the songs from her first CD were warm and genuine.

Her mini-performance was like wow, she sounded incredible! It was like being in a small intimate jazz club and losing yourself in the music. The jazz version of If I Had My Way was amazing; her range and passion made this song jump down your soul. Her impressions of other artists were dead on and very fun. The next song she preformed is on her new CD titled Blame It On Me which is a very soulful tune and the message in the song resonated with the women in the audience.

This was one of the fastest selling Music Experience and, in my opinion, one of the best. The host, Dedry Jones, did an extraordinary job of interviewing Chrisette who not only gave an outstanding interview but one of the best live performances I have seen in a long time.

Foreign Exchange Leave It All Behind Review

Foreign Exchange Leave it All Behind


The group consist of Phonte one half of the dynamic hip-hop group Little Brother alongside Dutch super producer Nicolay. Phonte and Nicolay combine to bring another tight musical journey I must admit it was a departure from their first cd Connected which featured mostly rhyming with a roster of dope MC’s. Leave it All Behind takes a different approach with melodic beats and vocals from Phonte, Darien Brockington, Yahzarah, and Muhsinha.

The very talented Muhsinha contributed two standout tracks “Daykeeper” and “House of Cards” where she delivers her standout vocal stylings along side Phonte who is a very capable singer. Mr. Darien Brockington delivers as has before on Connected as well on his collaborations with Little Brother. His voice is at its peak on “Two Step Blues” where he and Phonte will have you reaching for the phone or grabbing your significant other to come a little closer. Yahzarah lends her sexy sultry voice to “If She Breaks Your Heart” a slower groove that conjures sweet memories of the heartbreaks of love and her singing styles fits like a glove on “If This is Love” with Phonte which was a feel good track about love that will leave you bobbing your head thinking about that special someone. Phonte then brings out his lyrically wizardry on “Something to Behold” with Darien Brockington on background vocals speaking on how love can have you buying chicken dinners but seriously Phonte’s flow is classic over Nicolay’s mellow beat which has grooving. The track that had Big Oof open was “All or Nothing/Coming Home to You” this song is about love not having to be all or nothing over a dope beat by Nicolay and buttery smooth vocals from Darien Brockington and Phonte this track made me realize that Leave it All Behind had to be my first music review.

Big Oof is still grooving after listening to Leave It All Behind a cd you can listen to all the way through and put on repeat the beats and vocals are fresh and better than anything I have heard in a long time. So do Big Oof a solid and check out Foreign Exchange Leave It All Behind it’s a must have for your collection.