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  • Newport Festivals Jazz Lab

    The next generation of jazz

  • Newport Festivals Foundations proudly launches Jazz Lab, an immersive experience that aims to create and hone the next generation of jazz musicians.

    The Jazz Lab meets every Saturday for an hour and a half where students work with instructors on jazz harmony and rhythm, ear training, jazz repertoire, improvisation, artistic creativity and jazz history. The start date is October 25th, 2025. The program fosters the importance of community and mentorship by hosting top-tier jazz musicians as guest teaching artists throughout the year, giving students public performance opportunities and providing field trips to listen to professional jazz musicians/ bands perform live. The culmination of the year concludes with the students performing at the iconic Newport Jazz Festival in the summer.

    This is a one year program. The program completed its pilot phase this past Spring, and will currently only be holding auditions for horn players (woodwinds and brass) and vocalists. Auditions will take place October 11th, 2025 at the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

    Audition Date: October 11th, 2025 10am-2pm (choose your time slot). 

    Location: The Rhode Island Philharmonic, 667 Waterman Ave, East Providence, RI.

    Program start Date: October 25th, 2025

  • Audition Requirements

  • Auditions for the Jazz Lab will be held on October 11th, 2025 10am-2pm (choose your time slot) at The Rhode Island Philharmonic, 667 Waterman Ave, East Providence, RI.

    Please email leland@newportfestivals.org with any questions. 

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  • During your audition, you will be asked to demonstrate the following: 

  • Woodwinds/Brass: 

    - Demonstrate fluency in scale knowledge, be able to perform major scales up to 4 flats and 4 sharps with eighth notes at 120bpm.
    Demonstrate knowledge of Major and Minor triads and 7th chords.
    -Perform 1-2 choruses of a Jazz solo transcription of your choosing. You will be asked in the audition to play along with the recording you choose.
    - The emphasis on this part is accuracy of phrasing, dynamics, articulation.
    -The solo should be memorized or transcribed by hand if possible, otherwise you may read the sheet music.
    -Any solo by known jazz masters of the music will be accepted. Some names include but are not limited to: Louis Armstrong, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, JJ Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Roy Hargrove, etc.
    -Play the melody of “Au Privave” by Charlie Parker, then improvise for two choruses, and then play the melody out. (F Blues)
    ment will be provided.

  •  Rhythm Section: (Piano, Bass, Guitar)
    - Demonstrate fluency in major scales, and 3 different qualities of chords (major, minor, and dominant) 
    -Be able to perform 2 Choruses of Miles Davis’ Solo on “Freddie Freeloader” from the album Kind of Blue. Click below to access sheet music. The audition emphasis is on style and interpretation. Students will be playing along with the recording. 
    Pianists/Guitarists must demonstrate the ability to play the melody and to “comp” (accompany a soloist) on “Sonnymoon for Two” by Sonny Rollins, in the key of Bb. Accompaniment will be provided.
    Bassists must be able to walk an appropriate bassline over the chord changes of a Bb blues. For reference listen to Paul Chambers playing on Freddie Freeloader. 

  • Drums:

    -Drummers should be able to demonstrate the ability to play a swing feel with sticks and brushes at a medium, slow, and uptempo speed
    -Demonstrate the ability to improvise and trade 4 and 8 bars with a soloist.
    -Demonstrate the ability to play with brushes on a ballad 
    -Demonstrate ability to play in medium swing ¾ meter

  • Vocalists: 

    - Demonstrate ability to sing major scales and intervals (Major 2, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, and Major 7th).
    - Be able to sing 1-2 chorus’ of a solo of your choosing. This can either be an instrumental solo or a vocalists scat solo. If you’ve never learned a solo before refer to our provided transcription guide.
    -Be able to sing the melody to two jazz standards of your choice, they must be of contrasting styles. For example, one ballad/one bossa, one medium swing/one bossa, etc. It is strongly recommended to draw from the repertoire of jazz vocal greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Hartman, Nancy Wilson, etc. Listed below are some examples of songs.
    Ballad (i.e, Body and Soul, But Beautiful, Darn that Dream, In a Sentimental Mood…, etc)
    Medium or Uptempo Swing (i.e., There is No Greater Love, But Not for Me, All of Me, Autumn Leaves…, etc)
    Brazilian/Bossa Nova (i.e. Wave, Triste, Chega De Saudade, Corcovado, The Girl from Ipanema, etc)

  • Click here to download a guide to transcribing a jazz solo. 

     

  • Parent Signature: 

    By signing below, I allow my child to participate in the Newport Festivals Jazz Lab program. I understand that photos and videos of my child will be taken and posted on social media, television, etc. 

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