Tag Archive for 'new jazz'

Rappin with Mark Rapp @ Newport Jazz

In reading up on Mark Rapp before our Newport Jazz interview, three things stood out for me.

1. He’s an incredibly talented musician who uses his skills on the trumpet to create a unique tone that blends classic and modern jazz.

2. He played at the birthday party for Playboy Playmate Natalia Sokolova

3. He plays the didgeridoo

He’s got skills that land him among the most talented rising Jazz musicians on the scene and knocks down gigs everywhere from legendary festivals to a-list Hollywood parties – this guy is sort of a big deal. Stay tuned for the OurStage interview from the grounds of Newport Jazz where we caught up with Mark and chatted about his music, the jazz scene and the silly things you need to do with your mouth to play a didgeridoo…

Christian Scott Keeps It Hot

Christian Scott and his crew were dressed to impress and played in the shade of the Waterside Tent on Saturday afternoon at Newport Jazz. This New Orleans native graduated from Berkley in 2004 and has, since then, immersed himself in the New York City Jazz scene. His style was emotional and strong and so many times throughout his set he managed to make his trumpet sound like a human voice – a scream, a laugh, a sigh or a song … it was really quite amazing. I wasn’t surprised that many of his songs are personal in nature, from “Suicide” a song to bring awarness to his mother’s diagnosis of a rare and painful disease to “Say It” that reveals his feelings towards a racist encounter he had. Overall great performance, solid energy and great response from the crowd. Nice job to Christian and his crew for a fantastic performance.