This past Labor Day Weekend, the rolling hills of Napa, Calif. were filled with fans in town to attend the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience festival, curated by Robert Glasper. The iOne Digital team was on the grounds to take in the Black Radio Experience, and we were moved by the display of music, art, wine, and culture.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience kicked off on the first day of Labor Day Weekend and was held at the Meritage Resort and Spa. The BRE team did an excellent job of transforming the sprawling resort into a welcoming performance space, complete with brand installations, a wine garden, food trucks, VIP experiences, and plenty of seating for fans to take in the performances.
On the first day (August 30), vibraphonist Joel Rosshas’ Joel Ross’ Good Vibes got the festival going at the Blue Note Stage, with producer Madlib and drummer Daru Jones taking to the Black Radio Stage. Madlib also brought out guests on his set such as his Loot Pack band member Wildchild, who some might know as the father of actor Miles Brown, vocalist Stacy Epps, and rapper Your Old Droog.
Source: Black Radio Experience / BRE
Source: Black Radio Experience Content Team
Terrace Martin rocked the Blue Note Stage, taking listeners through his wide musical journey while picking up a variety of instruments and also sharing humorous bits about himself throughout his performance. Common and Pete Rock, who are currently on tour in support of their new album, The Auditorium Vol. 1, put on a spirited performance of their classics along with tracks from the new project.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: @sandrajamphoto
At the resort’s Estate Cave, André 3000 held three separate performances titled “New Blue Sun Live” which featured him performing with a backing band and using several wind instruments much like he did on his latest album of the same name. Three Stacks’ held three shows daily across the span of the festival at the Estate Cave. Golden Globes winner and singer Andra Day was another early highlight with a passionate performance that had attendees on their feet.
Source: Todd Cooper
The first night concluded with the legendary Jill Scott and she proved once more why she is in demand as a performer, running through just about every song you’d want to hear, including the sultry “Crown Royal,” and the Go-Go-tinged “It’s Love” among other hits.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
On the second day (8/31), drummer Kendrick Scott set things off on the Blue Note Stage with an energetic set that displayed his mastery of the sticks. DJ Jazzy Jeff was slated to perform on the Black Radio Stage but DJ Premier of Gang Starr fame gamely filled the slot with a crowd-pleasing set full of grooving soul tracks and R&B from the 1970s and beyond.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Bassist Derrick Hodge rocked Blue Note Stage shortly after and pulled double duty on Saturday with a following set with the Color of Noize Orchestra. Around the same time, Tank and The Bangas were torching the Black Radio Stage and as we’ve seen before, Tarriona “Tank” Ball gave it her all on the stage with a mixture of poetry, rapping, and singing.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
As this festival was created from the mind of Robert Glasper, the talented musician made his rounds during several sets throughout the weekend and hosted his first full set with special guest, Marsha Ambrosius.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
John Legend closed things out on Saturday with all the style and professionalism one can imagine. At one point during his set, Legend explained to the crowd how he came to work with Kanye West, now known as Ye, and the origin of his stage name among other anecdotes. Based on our observation of the crowd, this was another standout moment of the festival.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
On the final day, we spent much of our day in interview mode so we regretfully missed several sets such as RC & The Gritz, Christian McBride, Cimafunk, and Eric Roberson. However, we did get to sit down with Erro and we’ll be sharing more from our chat in later posts. In between the busy interview schedule, we did get to see some of Ledisi’s set from the Pattern Beauty suite — more on that later — and we also got to catch the “New Blue Sun Live” experience in person.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: BRE / Still Harper
The final sets of the night were Niles Rodgers and CHIC, and Glasper alongside Musiq Soulchild, capping a weekend full of music, wine, and several examples of Black elegance and excellence.
The iOne Digital team also attended some of the on-site experiences, such as the JAM Session with Robert Glasper & Chef Ken L. Polk from Chicago, with Glasper serving as his sous chef.
We also checked out the Ladies First Power Hour: Cocktails & Conversation with Kendra Anderson & Imane Hanine and had the pleasure of interviewing the pair after the experience. We also got to get some brunch in among the elevated vineyard grounds via the “For the Love of Jazz” Soul Brunch by Chef Jay Foster & DJ Mara Hruby, featuring John Legend’s LVE Wine.
Source: @sandrajamphoto
In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the content we captured from the grounds, including the aforementioned interviews. We interviewed Andra Day, Derrick Hodge, Frankie Zombie, and more so please stay tuned.
Once again, the iOne Digital team owes a great deal of gratitude to the Black Radio Experience team for the hospitality and assistance in allowing us to experience the festival as intended.
To learn more about the Blue Note Jazz, click here.
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Photo: iOne Digital/BRE
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