Newport Jazz Assembly Returns to Schools in RI and MA

NEWPORT, RI, October 11, 2016 – Newport Jazz Assembly, a performance series presented by Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™, Inc. will bring music to elementary schools throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts for a second season beginning this week.

The series, funded by Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. with support from the Estate of H. Stewart Ross, connects professional musicians to schools with minimal or no music programs to present jazz concerts for students who may not have had the experience of attending a live concert. Additional support comes from Up with School Arts, a Little Compton not-for-profit organization that takes live music and symphony musicians to schools.

Each Assembly, which will introduce students to the music presented at the Newport Jazz Festival®, will be 35-40 minutes long and will consist of oral presentations, question/answer sessions and several musical segments that will span the timeline of jazz history, including Dixieland, Big Band, Bebop, Fusion, Cool and Modal Jazz.

Band members are Ben Marcoux, bandleader/saxophones/clarinet; Joshua Bruneau, trumpet/flugelhorn; Jimmy O’Connell, trombone; Tony Davis, guitar; Noah Barker, keyboard; Alex Tremblay, upright bass; and Mike Camacho, drums. Deborah Ross, Newport Festivals Foundation Director of Education, is the project director.

The 2016 Fall Newport Jazz Assembly Schedule is:

Tuesday, October 11 (Completed)

Goff Middle School

Pawtucket, RI

Wednesday, October 12 (Completed)

Holy Family Holy Name

New Bedford, MA

Tuesday, October 18

Samuel Slater Jr. High School

Pawtucket, RI

Wednesday, October 19

Blackstone Valley Prep Academy

Cumberland, RI

Monday, October 24

Stone Hill Elementary School

Cranston, RI

Tuesday, October 25

Aquidneck Elementary School

Middletown, RI

Wednesday, November 2

Ft. Barton Elementary School

Tiverton, RI

Wilbur & McMahon School

Little Compton, RI

Wednesday, November 16

Northern Lincoln Elementary School

Manville, RI

Thursday, November 17

Mercymount Country Day School

Cumberland, RI

Stay tuned for more information on the 2017 Newport Jazz Festival, which takes place August 4-6 at historic Fort Adams State Park and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino. To learn more about the Festival, visit www.newportjazzfest.org.

Newport Festivals Foundation™ was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Jazz Festival® and Newport Folk Festival®. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Newport Jazz Festival presents performers who respect and honor jazz music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today's musical trends. In addition, the Foundation presents programs to educate young people about jazz and folk music as presented at the annual festivals. For more information, please visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

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The Newport Jazz Festival® and Newport Folk Festival® are productions of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, duly licensed. All rights reserved.

Photo credit: Ayano Hisa