The 22nd Annual Rhythm & Roots Festival will feature alt-country band, Son Volt on Friday, Aug. 30, fan favorite, The Mavericks on Saturday, Aug. 31 and acoustic rockers Railroad Earth on Sunday, Sept. 1.

The festival is an annual gumbo of music, dancing, camping, food and fun. It rolls into Ninigret Park in this small, seaside town over Labor Day weekend, drawing thousands of families for the relaxing, friendly vibe and three full days of authentic roots music.

More than two dozen bands will play a spicy mix of music that challenges any attempt at categorization. You’ll find Zydeco, blues, bluegrass and Cajun, but most bands are a combination of these, or a completely distinctive sound that’s all their own. The Mavericks, for one example, are described as a fusion of Cuban, country, Tex-Mex, alternative and boogie. Railroad Earth plays rock music on acoustic instruments and Son Volt’s latest tunes bring together folk, blues and politics. Each band is known for their energetic, powerful and passionate live shows.

It’s this endless variety that is expected to attract more than 5,000 music and dance lovers each day. Gates open at noon, with performances running every day from 1 p.m. to midnight on four stages. Buy tickets at rhythmandroots.com or call 401.783.3926 or 800.901.7173.

Independent producer Chuck Wentworth, whose family runs the festival, scouts the bands and makes the selections. He’s particularly excited about a handful of bands this year:

“New and different” for Rhythm & Roots is the string trio Hot Club Cowtown and Dustbowl Revival, an eight-piece Americana band, Wentworth says. The bands will join up in an homage to The Band’s first two albums, Music from Big Pink and The Band, released 50 years ago.

Peter Rowan and Free Mexican Airforce with Los Texmaniacs is a conglomeration of three bands. “Peter Rowan has a great following,” Wentworth says. “He’s played with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, and he’s put out albums with Free Mexican Airforce. Los Texmaniacs – who’ve been here before but not in this role – bring an authentic Tex-Mex feel.”

Speaking of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Joe Craven & the Sometimers, self-described as “acid-rockgrass” and “jazz fusion Americana” will put a fresh spin on the Garcia songbook.

The long-awaited 23rd Rhythm & Roots Music, Dance and Food Festival will resume Sept. 3-5 at Ninigret Park with much-loved headliners, a jam band extravaganza, festival fan favorites and new voices that reflect the always-changing nature of roots music.

The headliners – Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi, John Hiatt and Uprooted – will join Richard Thompson, Trigger Hippy, the Pine Leaf Boys and many, many others covering a vast range of musical styles – Cajun, R&B, Delta blues, zydeco, soul, country, rock and gospel among them.

About 80% of the artists who were scheduled for last year’s festival, prior to its cancelation, are back. Chuck Wentworth, whose family-run Lagniappe Productions produces the Labor Day weekend festival, says fans “kept the vibe alive” last year and are eager to get their three-day musical fix. The community of music lovers, dancers, campers, food vendors, artisans and hundreds of volunteers make Rhythm & Roots feel like a reunion every year – a reunion that’s overdue.

“It’s the first time in 40 years that we’ve ever faced a situation like this, and it posed a lot of hardships on the festival, emotionally and financially, but we’ve gotten through it,” Wentworth says. “We’re back with renewed spirit this year and looking forward to putting on a fantastic festival.”

Here’s a look at what’s planned.

The diversity of styles is one attraction for the music lovers who return every year. This time around, a Friday night jam band lineup will feature fan favorites Donna The Buffalo, Keller Williams, who’s a multi-instrumentalist jam band all on his own, Will Evans & Rising Tide (of Mystic, Conn.) and topped off by Uprooted, featuring Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root. “They’re all very different in style but they all have that same jam band vibe,” Wentworth said. Uprooted will be performing Rusted Root’s multi-cultural, multi-platinum album "When I Woke" in its entirety, with more percussion, female vocals and new interpretations.

Saturday’s headliner, the prolific songwriter John Hiatt, will bring his powerful storytelling, craggy voice and expert guitar and piano playing to the festival. The influential singer/songwriter has inspired recordings from musicians as different as Iggy Pop and Rosanne Cash. Hiatt’s blend of rock, blues and Americana music will complement the mix of styles and energy of Trigger Hippy. Wentworth predicts the band will be the breakout fan favorite this year.
 
Also on Saturday, the 2020 Grammy award-winning Ranky Tanky will put another spin on roots music by featuring coastal South Carolina’s Gullah culture and its deep connections to West and Central Africa. The Revelers base their sound in the swamp pop, Cajun, zydeco, country and blues of southwestern Louisiana.

On the final day of the festival, the headliner is acclaimed banjo and fiddle player Rhiannon Giddens, formerly of the beloved Carolina Chocolate Drops, who is collaborating with Francisco Turrisi, who brings Arabic influences to the classical voice of Giddens. Both students of early music, they combine music from the Mediterranean with music from the African diaspora in the Americas. Giddens has earned multiple awards and honors, and is featured in Ken Burns’ Country Music series, which aired on PBS in 2019.

Richard Thompson, the British folk hero whose career spans five decades, is another influential artist who should draw a big crowd for his songs, which can alternate between bleak and lyrical or edgy and energetic. It’s hard to beat this description by The Los Angeles Times: “the finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix.” The festival will close out with a swamp rock party from Louisiana super group The New Orleans Suspects.

The festival features dozens of performers, so check out the full lineup of musicians, and hear a Rhythm & Roots playlist on Spotify.
 
Festival-goers can choose from three stages all three days. If you’re serious about dancing, or just want to try it out, The Dance Tent is one of the most popular stages at the festival, with two-step and waltz enthusiasts dancing nonstop for hours each day. The Pine Leaf Boys promise to be another big hit. Their blend of Cajun and rock has been described as “the next best thing to a Saturday night dance in Lafayette,” according to Rolling Stone magazine.

The musicians were likely missing the festival as much as the fans. Wentworth says, “It’s not just a living, it’s a vocation, it’s what musicians live for is to play music and feed off the energy and everything that comes from an audience, and they’ve had to go 15 months without that.”

The Rhythm & Roots experience will remain largely the same this year. As usual, food from local vendors is a highlight. Abita beer will be served along with new wine offerings from Gooseneck Vineyards of Wickford, R.I. Artisans will be back selling their wares, campers are welcome and Ninigret park offers a relaxing spot to hike, bike or swim, depending on your mood.

State and local COVID regulations will alter some aspects of the festival, however. All attendees entering the campgrounds and/or the festival grounds will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result taken within 72 hours. Due to a rapid increase in COVID infections and the rise of the Delta variant among unvaccinated populations, the Youth Music Camp and Family Tent activities are closed. These measures will be taken to protect our patrons, staff, musicians, volunteers and vendors. Tickets are in high demand, but capacity limits are likely, so Wentworth urges fans to purchase tickets now.

This year is the 41st in the music business for Wentworth. It began in 1981 with the Cajun and Bluegrass Festival in Escoheag, followed by the 1998 birth of Rhythm & Roots, which has been going strong ever since under the direction of the Wentworth family, which includes Chuck, his wife Deb, their three children and nine grandchildren.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday, with performances starting one hour after opening through 11 p.m. Prices range from $49 for Friday night to $250 for three-day camping passes with full festival access. To buy tickets, learn more about the artists or get answers about parking, camping or any number of other issues, go to rhythmandroots.com, the Facebook page or call 401.783.3926.

The 24th Rhythm & Roots Music, Dance and Food Festival kicks off with a New Orleans party of musical styles followed by traditionalists, little-known talent, fan favorites and new interpreters of the ever-expanding definition of roots music.
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The Sept. 2, 3 & 4 festival, held at Ninigret Park every year, will feature headliners Cowboy Mouth on Friday, Grace Potter on Saturday and Little Feat on Sunday. They will join Samantha Fish, Anders Osborne & Jackie Green, North Mississippi All-Stars, The Pine Leaf Boys, The New Orleans Suspects, and longtime festival performers Donna the Buffalo and Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Over two dozen bands will cover the map of musical styles ­– Cajun, R&B, Delta blues, Zydeco, soul, country, rock and gospel among them.

The festival, now produced by GoodWorks Entertainment, offers the same “chill but lively” vibe that’s made it a much-awaited, end-of-summer reunion for friends and family for over two decades. Founder and longtime producer Chuck Wentworth, who sold the festival earlier this year, is still involved and brings his family’s expertise to the party.

As always, the festival features music on three stages, including the Dance Tent for two-step and waltz enthusiasts. Local beer, wine and seltzers are available, as is food of all kinds from popular vendors and sales of artisans’ wares are back. Ninigret Park’s playground, swimming, tennis or biking are options for anyone needing a break between bands. RV, pop-up and tent camping is available and enhances the overall festival experience. Festival grounds open at 4 p.m. Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday. Performances start one hour after opening through 11 p.m. Tickets range from $49 for the Friday New Orleans opener to $249 to camp, dance and hear music all three days. (Note that the three-day camping tickets sold out last year.)

Who doesn’t love choice? With two dozen live performances on three stages, a popular 4,400-square-foot dance floor, and food from Thailand to Narragansett Bay, Rhythm & Roots offers up the options.

The 24th Rhythm & Roots Music, Dance and Food Festival, held at Charlestown’s Ninigret Park over Labor Day weekend every year, kicks off with a New Orleans party of diverse musical styles featuring Cowboy Mouth on Friday, Sept. 2, followed by the bluesy, powerful Grace Potter on Saturday and the legendary Little Feat on Sunday.

Like the food, roots music covers the map. In addition to Cowboy Mouth’s combination of New Orleans sounds, rock, punk and blues, three bands from The Big Easy will perform Friday – New Orleans Suspects, Honey Island Swamp Band and John “Papa” Gros.

You’ll also hear Tex-Mex conjunto, boogie woogie, swamp pop, blues, gospel, country and more for the next two days. While the music is often hard to characterize, it’s all authentic and ever-changing. This year’s line-up includes Samantha Fish, Anders Osborne & Jackie Green, Los Texmaniacs, North Mississippi All-Stars, The New Orleans Suspects and Donna the Buffalo. The Dance tent will swing with four authentic Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco bands – the Pine Leaf Boys, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (a fixture at every Rhythm & Roots festival) and Cedric Watson.

If you’re a camper, you may even hear impromptu jam sessions by festival performers after the gates close (or you can stay in designated quiet areas if that’s not your thing). Staying at Ninigret Park for the duration is convenient, for sure, but it also means more time to enjoy the all-ages, welcoming vibe, according to the 1,500 who camp there every year. The number of camping tickets is limited to that number and sell out quickly. With the festival a few weeks away, it’s best to purchase tickets now whether you’re camping or not. Tickets range from $49 for the Friday New Orleans opener to $249 to camp, dance and hear music all three days. Children 12 and under are always free. Festival grounds open at 4 p.m. Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday. Performances start one hour after opening and end at 11 p.m.

The festival features music on three stages – the main Rhythm Stage, the Dance Stage and the Roots Stage, where you’ll find an up-close, informal atmosphere for workshops and jams. Don’t forget the artisans’ crafts, food for every palate and Rhode Island beers and wines. Ninigret Park’s playground, swimming, tennis, biking or disc golf are open to anyone who needs a break. Founding producer Chuck Wentworth will be enjoying the music as well, after selling the Rhythm & Roots Festival earlier this year to Hartford-based GoodWorks Entertainment, led by CEO Tyler Grill. An independent, community-minded organization with 20 years of concert experience, GoodWorks was considered a perfect fit to take over the beloved festival. The Wentworth family, which includes Chuck’s wife Deb, their three children and nine grandchildren, have been working on the transition and will remain involved for as long as they like. Got questions about parking, camping, accessibility, volunteering or any number of other issues? Go to rhythmandroots.com. Want a preview? Download The 2022 Rhythm & Roots playlist on Spotify.

The music industry is full of stories. Some good. Some not so good. But it must be said, it’s not every day that a magical storyline like Jewel Brown’s comes around.
 
Her journey started back before her teen years. Like most musical talents at the time, Jewel began singing in the church. But it didn’t take her long to start a commercial singing career. In fact, she played her first show when she was just 12, and she was cutting records by the time she was a teenager. Brown recorded a handful of hit songs with Clyde Otis in the mid-’50s for Liberty Records and by the early ’60s she was playing jazz clubs nationally, many of which happened to be owned by Jack Ruby. Yep, that Jack Ruby.
 
But Jewel Brown was and still is, best known for her work with Louis Armstrong and His All-Star Band. She sang with Satchmo from 1961 until 1968, until Armstrong fell ill. She continued singing for a while after her stint with Armstrong, headlining shows, mainly in Vegas. She stepped out of the limelight in the early ’70s, not because there wasn’t a demand for her talent, but because it was time for her to care for her aging parents.
 
But her success didn’t end with show biz. Jewel started up numerous businesses and enjoyed a successful career as, of all things, an insurance agent, a career she nurtured until retiring from the business in 2000. Jewel still receives calls from people looking to buy insurance from someone “they can trust.”
 
Though retired, her generations of fans didn’t allow her musical legacy to be forgotten. In 2007 she was inducted into the Blues Smithsonian and in 2015 she received a congressional acknowledgment for her contribution to the arts. And, in 2020, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner set aside December 12, 2020, as Jewel Brown Day.
 
But the story’s not over, not by a longshot. Today, Jewel Brown is back, this time, for the first time, with songs of her own. Thanks for Good Ole’ Music and Memories is Brown’s long-awaited new recording, done in collaboration with Nic Allen (better known as Joe Sample’s longtime musical director). “Over the years,” she notes in her bio, “I had the opportunity to work with various songwriters, but I never put my name on anything. I feel like the Lord has given back to me what was taken, and I’ve enjoyed doing a lot of writing lately with Nic.”
 
The ten jazz and blues tracks on the album reflect that collaboration. While it nods to Brown’s legacy, revisiting two songs that form important chapters in her musical history (the brilliantly updated opener “Did You Hear About Jerry” and the lush “Song of the Dreamer,” written by her ex-husband Eddie Curtis.) But there’s so much more, including the rockin’ cover “Which Way Is Up,” the a cappella “Pain and Glory,” the jazzy “Why Did You Do That,” and the boppin’, bluesy closer “How Did It Go.” The recording is rich and full, showcasing great playing and Brown’s elegant, sage-like vocals.
 
So, no, it’s not your typical throwaway comeback recording. Thanks for Good Ole’ Music and Memories is an inspired reintroduction of an impressive talent, an important musical figure, and, best of all, an incredible voice.

Eric Wyatt’s 2021 record A Song for Hope on the Whaling City Sound label is an adventurous, colorful, unpredictable, and wide-ranging session, a tour de force of immense creativity and incredible vision. It’s also something of a departure from his last effort, The Golden Rule: For Sonny, also on WCS, which featured the saxophonist in a more straight-ahead jazz setting.
 
A Song for Hope is also, as it turns out, a star turn for one of Wyatt’s guest performers, none other than Samara Joy, the young jazz vocalist that, quite unexpectedly, happened to win not one but two Grammy Awards last week, one for Best New Artist, and another for Best Jazz Vocal for Linger Awhile. Samara Joy now records for Verve.
 
Wyatt invited Samara Joy to sing two songs on A Song for Hope, and both are marvelous, in a way, a foreshadowing of the singer’s incredible talent. The first track, “Say Her Name,” is a luminous tribute to Breonna Taylor. “I was looking for her to convey the pain of that event,” says Wyatt, and she did. “When I listen back to it, I remember the hope we all felt in making these songs, and Samara Joy was an excellent part of that."
 
Samara Joy is also featured on Wyatt’s soulful take on Sting’s “Fragile.” The singer delivers an ethereal, magical performance, accompanied by Wyatt on soprano sax. Listening to these tracks, it’s no wonder that Samara Joy got the attention she did, both from Wyatt, who invited her to sing with him, and more recently, by the Academy, who awarded her such a distinguished prize.  
 
That said, no one was more surprised by the win than the vocalist herself. “I can’t even believe—I’ve been watching y’all on TV for so long!” she said, in an attempt at an acceptance speech. “All of you inspire me because of who you are. You express exactly who you are authentically. So, to be here by just being myself, I’m just so thankful.”
 
As it turns out, Wyatt’s recording was a big step in Samara Joy’s career journey so far. In fact, she parlayed several important steps into a recording contract with Verve.
 
Wyatt sensed he wanted an impressive singer to guest on his recording and he knew that Samara Joy had won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition back in 2019 at the age of 21. She had been referred to the session by one of his musicians, bass player Mike Boone, a relative of Samara Joy.  
 
Wyatt has always had an eye for talent. A Song of Hope features drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist Eric Wheeler, and pianist Donald Vegaalong with an all-star horn section and a few additional guests.
 
“Samara became a blessing in disguise,” says Wyatt. He had originally thought he’d produce an instrumental version of “Fragile.” “When I heard her sing, I knew she could convey the feeling of both of those songs. And she did.

The 25th Rhythm & Roots Music, Dance, and Food Festival will feature headliners Greensky Bluegrass, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and Dumpstaphunk, who will join more than 20 other bands at Ninigret Park over Labor Day weekend.
 
For 25 years Rhythm & Roots has become an annual must-do event for hundreds of families, music fans, and dancers, who enjoy the laid-back vibe and endless variety of music in the small, seaside community of Charlestown. As always, the festival delivers music for a broad fan base including blues, bluegrass, Cajun, country, gospel, rock, R&B, soul, and of course zydeco – food that covers the globe and a 4,400-square foot dance floor that draws dancers from around the country.
 
Greensky Bluegrass, is a five-piece American bluegrass jam band that mixes traditional acoustic elements with the creativity and rule-bending sensibility of improvisational rock, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, the New Orleans icon who blends funk, soul, R&B and psychedelic rock, and Louisiana funk and jam band, Dumpstaphunk highlight this year’s Sept. 1-3 festival.
 
Also scheduled to appear:
 
Southern rock and soul staples JJ Grey & Mofro, legendary blues artist Robert Cray Band, the progressive bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters, Texas southern soul and swamp funk band Shinyribs, American roots orchestra Dustbowl Revival, and New Orleans street band Tuba Skinny.
 
Also set to perform: Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, The Revelers, Corey Ledet Zydeco, Old Fashioned Aces, Knickerbocker All-Stars, Mighty Soul Drivers, Ward Hayden & The Outliers, Paul Gabriel Blues Band, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez with the Sin Sisters, plus more to be announced.
 
Rhythm & Roots features three stages – the Rhythm (main) stage with standing room and lawn seating, and the tented Roots and Dance stages.  In addition, the festival features over a dozen food vendors, diverse craft vendors, beer, and wine.
 
GoodWorks Entertainment, led by CEO Tyler Grill, and founder and longtime producer Chuck Wentworth looks forward to the 25th Rhythm & Roots party, which attracts over 5,000 daily visitors to Ninigret Park, including 1,500-weekend campers.
 
Festival grounds open at 4 p.m. Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday. Performances start one hour after opening and continue through 11 p.m. Tickets range from $59 for the Friday opener to $269 for 3-days of camping, dancing, and music.
 
Check out our full lineup, explore artist profiles, purchase tickets, and find answers to questions about parking, camping, accessibility, volunteering, and more at our website.
 
Rhythm & Roots has earned multiple awards and is often included on “best of” music festival lists. Considered one of the top 100 events in North America, the festival has been described as “an incredible experience, a perfectly organized, flawlessly run major destination event that music fans from all over the country will be drawn to.” Whether you’re a first-time visitor or returning for your 25th time, we’re sure you’ll agree.

Celebrated musician Terry Gibbs, whose remarkable career spans over eight decades, is set to delight audiences once again with the release of his highly anticipated album, The Terry Gibbs Songbook. This momentous album, which pays homage to Gibbs' exceptional talent as both a composer and a vibraphone player, features 15 original songs, all penned by the jazz icon himself.

Joining Gibbs on this extraordinary musical journey is a lineup of renowned musicians, each bringing their unique artistry to the project. Produced by Gibbs, the album showcases his masterful compositions and collaborations with musical virtuosos such as Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, Tom Ranier, and the captivating jazz vocals of Danny Bacher. Together, they create a harmonious blend of sounds that accentuates Gibbs' musical genius.

What sets Terry Gibbs apart is not only his impressive list of collaborations but also his unwavering passion and dedication to his craft. He has served as a musical director for esteemed shows, including The Steve Allen Show, The Regis Philbin Show, and Operation: Entertainment. Additionally, Terry's talent as a composer shines through his over 300 published compositions, which have been recorded by renowned artists like Cannonball Adderley, Nat "King" Cole, and his son, Gerry Gibbs.

Throughout his illustrious career, Terry Gibbs has left an indelible mark on the world of music. His collaborations with jazz legends including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie have solidified his place among the jazz greats. With an impressive discography of 80 albums, Gibbs' enduring legacy stands as a testament to his unwavering passion and dedication to his craft.

Not only recognized for his musical prowess, Terry Gibbs has also made significant contributions to the understanding and appreciation of music. His book, "Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz," received the prestigious 37th Annual ASCAP Deems Taylor Award in 2004. A few years later, he was rightfully inducted into the ASCAP Wall of Fame, further cementing his status as an influential figure in the industry.

"The Terry Gibbs Songbook" is more than just a celebration of Gibbs' exceptional talent; it is a testament to his enduring impact on the jazz genre. This album promises to be a captivating musical experience, showcasing the vibrancy and timeless appeal of Gibbs' compositions. Among the standout tracks is "Let's Go To Rio," a vibrant and infectious journey into the lively rhythms and melodies of Brazil, and "I Was Loved," a heartfelt and introspective ballad showcasing Gibbs' ability to evoke deep emotions through the poignant lyrics of Michael Dees. Additionally, the collaboration between Terry Gibbs and renowned songwriter Bobby Troup on "Those Eyes, Those Lips, That Nose, That Face, That Girl" pays tribute to the allure and beauty of a special someone, with a blend of tender emotions and lyrical charm, accentuated by Danny Bacher's mesmerizing jazz vocals.

The Terry Gibbs Songbook beautifully encapsulates the illustrious career and enduring legacy of Terry Gibbs, a true icon in the jazz genre. With its diverse range of compositions and the exceptional artistry of the featured musicians, this album is a must-listen for jazz enthusiasts and music lovers alike.

As the release date approaches, anticipation for this monumental album continues to grow. Terry Gibbs' influence on the music world knows no bounds, and The Terry Gibbs Songbook is a testament to his unparalleled skills as a composer.