Riley Mulherkar is a trumpeter, community activist, and 2020 recipient of Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist Award who played Newport Jazz on Saturday, August 3. His debut album, Riley, has been described by DownBeat Magazine as “über hip, modern yet timeless.”
What’sUpNewp spoke with Mulherkar after his set on the Harbor Stage.
“This place is really special to me. I’ve been here a few times before with other projects, but to be able to play my own music meant a lot to me, and to have my daughter in the audience made it more special,” Mulherkar said. During his performance, Mulherkar told the audience that his daughter was in the crowd celebrating her 2nd birthday.
Mulherkar played music from his debut album during his Newport set. He told What’sUpNewp, “The album is still very new; it came out in February, and we’re just starting to tour it. There are a lot of songs on there – about half originals, half reimaginations of old standards.”
When asked if any tracks on the album stand out for him, Mulherkar said, “One that’s always meaningful to me is “King Porter Stomp,” because that’s one of the oldest jazz songs. We try to use it as a vehicle to express ourselves and find our own sound through this piece that’s been around for 100 years.”
Mulherkar is also a founding member of a brass quartet called The Westerlies, which is comprised of two trumpets and two trombones. The group performed at Newport Jazz in 2016.
“We write a lot of our own music, and we do a lot of new music and chamber music arrangements. That’s been the main focus of my career for the past 10 years until the solo album came out. It has been nice to incorporate elements of The Westerlies into other things I do,” Mulherkar said.
Mulherkar cited Newport Jazz and Folk performances by Ellington, Big Thief, and the celebration of Louis Armstrong as influential for him. He also shared how his experiences in regions across the country – from Seattle to New York City to Aiken, South Carolina – have shaped his perspective on the jazz genre.
“I think jazz is American music. I think it shows the best of what the whole country has. It’s also a wonderful way to engage with people wherever they are, from different communities, different backgrounds, and different walks of life,” Mulherkar said.
On how the genre has opened doors for him on an international scale, Mulherkar added, “Jazz has been a perfect gateway for me to get to meet so many people, and it goes beyond just the U.S.; I was just talking to some friends about going out to Ukraine with Kenny Barron. I went out there back in 2019, and everywhere you go in the world it’s a way to connect in terms of meeting new people and new cultures.”
Mulherkar also shared what he hoped the audience gained from his performance at Newport Jazz, saying, “I mean just today I hope they felt something, you know? I want to surprise people, and I want them to feel something that maybe they didn’t expect they were going to feel.”
In terms of a legacy, Mulherkar said he hopes to “contribute to this thing that all my heroes have contributed to. It could be a small contribution, or it could be a large contribution. As long as it’s personal; that’s all I want.”
Mulherkar’s album is available on streaming and for purchase on BandCamp.
Mulherkar was great. Thanks for this excellent feature.