Ken Abrams
Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams writes about music, the arts and more for What'sUpNewp. He is also an Editor and Writer for Hey Rhody Media. Ken DJ's "The Kingston Coffeehouse," a roots/folk/rock radio show every Tuesday, 6-9 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM. He is a former educator in the Scituate, RI school system where he taught Social Studies for over 30 years.
He is on the board of the Rhode Island Folk Festival and Newport Live (formerly Common Fence Music), a non-profit that brings diverse musical acts to the Newport area.
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Festivals Foundation launches Musician Relief Fund
Newport Festivals Foundation today announced the launch of The Newport Festivals Musician Relief Fund. Priority for the grants, which are available to artists starting today, will be made for Rhode Island artists as well as Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival alum. Jay Sweet, Executive Producer of Newport Festivals Foundation shared the following with […]
Posted inNews
Newport Playhouse to host fundraiser for Nashville Tornado victims
The “Newport to Nashville” series at the Newport Playhouse will present a special show to raise money for the victims of the Nashville tornado on Thursday March 12th. The show will benefit the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The Nashville style listening room welcome performers Tom Burgess, Bryan Cahall, Jonathan Perry, Joanne Lurgio, Steve Demers, […]
Posted inHistory, Opinion
Reflections on Martin Luther King Day 2020
I entered Kindergarten in the Fall of 1968 in the newly renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, a school that continues to educate a diverse population in the Mount Hope neighborhood in Providence, RI. King had been assassinated the previous Spring, and the school took on his name and his mission soon after. My […]
Posted inNews
Newport Jazz Assembly Band performs at Scituate Middle School
Students at Scituate Middle School were treated to a pre-Thanksgiving performance with the Newport Jazz Assembly Band on Tuesday November 26th. The ensemble clicked on all cylinders with students, many of whom have had only minimal exposure to jazz, often cited as “America’s original art form.” The band presented a top-notch performance and led a […]
Posted inNews
Several Newport Folk Festival Artists nominated for Grammy Awards
This morning’s announcement of the 2020 Grammy Award nominations included the names of several recent Newport Folk Festival Performers. Led by festival veterans Brandi Carlile and Bon Iver, several other past performers gained nominations. In what is undoubtedly a record for the Festival, a total of three 2019 artists – Maggie Rogers, Yola, and Tank […]
Posted inPeople & Profiles
A conversation with Newport Jazz Festival Artist Michael Mwenso
Michael Mwenso has come a long way to Newport Jazz. He’s a native of Sierra Leone, spent most of his childhood in London and later moved to New York City. His band, Mwenso and the Shakes’ calls Harlem home, although members come from far and wide, including South Africa, Jamaica, Madagascar, France and Scotland. Mwenso […]
Posted inNews
2019 Newport Jazz Festival: Day 3 Recap and Photos
The Newport Jazz Festival wrapped up a successful weekend on a positive note Sunday. The weekend’s theme carried the day – great music from a variety of artists representing the full range of jazz and beyond. From the opening notes of the Rhode Island Senior All State Jazz Band to Common’s closing set, the music […]
Posted inNews
2019 Newport Jazz Festival: Day 2 Recap and Photos
Day 2 at the 2019 Newport Jazz Festival was another winner. A near sell-out crowd was treated to an abundance of sounds within the jazz genre. Indeed, there was something for everyone, from traditional music to more avant garde sounds. As always, youth was on display early. The University of Rhode Island Jazz Band opened […]
Posted inNews
2019 Newport Jazz Festival: Day 1 Recap and Photos
The 2019 Newport Jazz Festival began on a perfect note on Friday, under sunny skies, with a gentle breeze and good vibes all around. Friday at Newport Jazz is traditionally a day to experience new, mainly young artists and this year was no different. Some of those younger artists, students at the Berklee Global Jazz […]
Posted inNews
Ten “Don’t Miss” Acts at the Newport Jazz Festival
The historic Newport Jazz Festival starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend of August 2-4. Over 60 acts ranging from fusion to hip-hop will be performing. We’ve made some picks of those artists you won’t want to miss. Of course, there’s so much good music at the Festival, you can’t go wrong on any stage. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
WhatsUp Interview: Laurin Talese, Playing Newport Jazz Saturday
Among the many emerging starts in jazz music, Laurin Talese stands out. Last November, Talese won the seventh annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. That meant an automatic invitation to the Newport Jazz Festival. Talese is a Cleveland, Ohio native who received a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the Philadelphia University […]