Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley: A Summer Party In The Heart Of Wine Country

Forbes Lifestyle ForbesLife Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley: A Summer Party In The Heart Of Wine Country David Hochman Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. A worldview from Los Angeles on luxury, travel and entertainment. Following Aug 1, 2023, 04:47pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin After just two years, the Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley already feels like a wine country .

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Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley The Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa wrapped its second annual music festival yesterday, and the weekend event already feels like a California wine country tradition in the making. It wasn’t just the allure of big-name headliners Mary J. Blige, Nas, and Chance the Rapper or the dozens of special guests that included De La Soul, Anderson .

Paak, George Clinton, PJ Morton, Gary Clark Jr, Ari Lennox, Lalah Hathaway and Digable Planets. The luminous, soulful, relaxed vibe is what set this festival apart. True to the iconic Blue Note brand, the three-day gathering on the grounds of Silverado Resort was both epic and intimate, diverse and tightly curated (thanks to audacious programming by pianist and well-connected producer Robert Glasper), and, let’s be frank, an all-out mid-summer party.

Mary J. Blige closed out the first night of the festival Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley The event spread out on three stages with more space than last year to hang out and relax, and merch and food stations that showcased Black-owned businesses, like Black Girl Magic Wines and Phillip Ashley Chocolates . Unlike larger festivals—even Napa’s Bottle Rock—this one never felt overcrowded or overwhelming.

With mere thousands rather than tens of thousands in attendance, it was never a problem to get a good spot to watch a performance up close, and even the food and bathroom lines were a non-issue. MORE FOR YOU Apple Leaks Detail All-New iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Design Changes Apple Watch Ultra 2 New Leak Hints At Jaw Dropping New Design Mega Millions Jackpot Hits 1 1 Billion Here s How Much The Winner Would Take Home After Taxes And while VIP passes can be hit and miss on the fest circuit, the VIP access at Blue Note Napa, while pricey, really made a difference, with dedicated front-stage viewing on two of the stages, a shaded VIP double-decker viewing platform with lounge-style seating, fancy air-conditioned restrooms, and exclusive food and beverage vendors and parking. It’s nice when the bonus action feels like a true extra.

PJ Morton lifted the crowd with songs from his latest album, Watch the Sun. David Hochman I attended Sunday’s performances with my family and was up front for my current music obsessions PJ Morton and Cory Henry, as well as for DOMi & JD Beck (aka “the future of jazz”), Derrick Hodge, and Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff. The moment Cory Henry laid down some heavy chords on his Hammond keyboard, the scene was what you wanted it to be with music like this: secular church on a gorgeous afternoon in wine country.

People were dancing, new friends were being made. To borrow a line from Friday’s performer George Clinton, it felt like One Nation Under a Groove. De La Soul and Talib Kweli joining soulful forces at Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley An offshoot of the Blue Note Jazz Festival that started in New York in 2011, Blue Note Jazz Napa Valley this year celebrated the influence of jazz on hip-hop for the past 50 years.

But this wasn’t a nostalgia show. Over the weekend, you got the feeling that the beats and rhythms that first came out of New York City half a century ago are now the global standard in music. The music Blue Note served up over three days is not the side act—it’s the main act.

And there’s even a bit of irony watching these performers groove so joyfully and expressively in a place (Napa Valley) that once might have seemed too straight and stuffy for entertainments such as these. The mere fact of the festival is a victory, and that’s reason enough to attend next time. As the weekend’s host, Dave Chappelle, put it to the crowd: “Our culture is undefeated.

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