Thanks to the initiative of Lower School Integrated Arts Instructor, Mr. Staton, and the generous support of the Newport Festivals Foundation and other donors, the six member Newport Jazz Assembly introduced Paul Cuffee students in third, fourth and fifth grades to some of the music presented at the annual Newport Jazz Festival®.
The Assembly’s October 16 visit included oral presentations, question/answer sessions and several musical segments that spanned the timeline of jazz history, including: Dixieland, Big Band, Bebop, Fusion, Cool and Modal Jazz. Assembly band instruments included saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, guitar, upright bass, keyboard, and drums.
For many Paul Cuffee students, this was the first time they had ever seen or heard a professional jazz ensemble perform live. The students learned what popular music from the last century sounds like and appreciated hearing the distinctive melodies and stories that accompany our nation’s cultural history.