Judy Collins returned to Newport for one more visit to the Jane Pickens Theater, taking the stage in strong voice as she prepares to launch her “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” farewell tour, which officially kicks off July 4 in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
The tour will run through the winter of 2027. While it marks her final major touring plan, Collins expects to follow with additional dates on the “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes — Celebration Encore.” Having just turned 87, she continues to deliver a full program with no signs of slowing down.
Collins opened the show by greeting the audience and introducing her support act, Ari Hest, a singer-songwriter and New York University graduate who has built a strong following through college and club touring. Hest was invited to collaborate with Collins on a recording, “Silver Skies Blue,” which led to a Grammy nomination for best folk album in 2017. Singing with a rich, warm tenor-baritone, he engaged the audience fully. One standout was “I’ve Got You,” which he said was inspired by Norah Jones, with whom he hopes to record.
Following a brief intermission that caught some in the audience off guard, Collins returned to the stage in full voice. Her crystalline high soprano remains unparalleled in popular music, and her sustain exceeds that of a healthy person a quarter her age. She entertained the crowd throughout, often referring to a notebook filled with jokes. One bit involved a friend who told his doctor he enjoyed smoking; the doctor advised him that every cigarette takes an hour off his life — and gives an hour to Keith Richards.
Collins spoke of her history as a classically trained pianist who was drawn to folk music as a young teen. She took up guitar in her mid-teens and sang the popular folk music of the time, eventually meeting the then-unknown Joni Mitchell, who had penned some of Collins’ early hits, including “Both Sides, Now.” Collins played all of her hits, backed by Will Kjeer on piano and Thad DeBrock on guitar, steel guitar and vocals. She did not play her signature Martin 12-string on this outing.
Collins later met Leonard Cohen, who had written poems but was uncertain whether they might make good songs. She heard “Suzanne” and recorded it the next day. When Cohen asked why she hadn’t written any of her own songs, Collins said she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t — and soon afterward wrote “Since You Asked,” her first piece. She has continued writing throughout a career spanning more than six decades. On this appearance, she treated the crowd to Joni Mitchell’s “River” with a delivery approaching perfection.
Collins also read a couple of selections from her book of poetry. Though she has announced plans to retire from performing, she assured the audience she intends to keep playing “on and on and on.”
What’sUpNewp has covered many of Collins’ appearances and continues to highlight her accomplishments as this may be her final appearance at the Jane Pickens Theater. Collins is also recognized for her activism and as a cultural trailblazer, raising her voice over the past 60 years on civil rights, war and mental health through both her music and her public life. Following the example of Pete Seeger, she has long advocated for social justice.
Collins holds a legacy as one of folk music’s most beloved icons, having played the very first Newport Folk Festival in 1959 and returning to the City by the Sea to mark the slow conclusion of a career well lived. The world is a better place for having shared Judy Collins.
All photos by Jack Casey/What’sUpNewp
