Newport, Rhode Island, Alumni College Itinerary
Friday, August 3
3 p.m. - Check in at the Airbnb Mansion in the heart of Newport.
6:30 p.m. - Welcome reception at the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF). The Executive Lounge is reserved exclusively for JHU, for wine beer and light fare. The ITHF is a short walk from the house. Enjoy a presentation by Abra Bush:
"The Best of Every Branch of the Tree of Jazz: Highlights of the Newport Jazz Festival 2018"
The Newport Jazz Festival has a long tradition of being a summit and a showcase, not only the oldest jazz festival in the world but also one of the most highly esteemed. Central to the festival’s identity is the notion of breadth within the art form. This year’s festival, under the artistic direction of jazz legend, Christian McBride, for the second year, promises to be another feast of bold, inventive music. This presentation will feature a brief history of the festival and discuss the highlights of the 2018 schedule.
8:00 p.m. - Concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino features Pat Metheny with Antonio Sanchez, Linda May Han Oh & Gwilym Simcock, and Lean on Me: Jose James Celebrates Bill Withers.
Tickets are for the lawn area and in an open air stadium. Concert is rain or shine.
Concession stands are also available during the concert.
Saturday, August 4
9 a.m.–1 p.m. - Start your day off with a scenic narrated tour on a private old-fashioned trolley. Travel from the Modern Age to the Gilded Age and experience the charm of Newport’s historic buildings and restored homes and more than 150 points of interest. Take in the rugged beauty of Ten-Mile Ocean Drive and the fabulous mansions along tree-lined Bellevue Avenue. This tour includes a visit to the Breakers, the elaborate estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and concludes with time to enjoy the Cliff walk - a 3.5 mile walkway that borders the shore line and is designated a National Recreation Trail.
During the Trolley ride to the Jazz Festival, Abra Bush will present:
“Baltimore’s Jazz Past, Present and Future”
Jazz stands at the center of two very important musical traditions: western classical virtuosity and the music of the African diaspora. Since it was first documented in 1917, the city of Baltimore has been an incubator of this uniquely American musical language. From early jazz greats like Billy Holiday, Eubie Blake and Cab Calloway to today’s legends including Cyrus Chestnut, Warren Wolf, Larry Willis and many more, Baltimore’s jazz community is an electrifying treasure-trove of musical genius. The Peabody Institute’s role in the jazz community and our very own faculty, led by internationally acclaimed trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and educator, Sean Jones, is poised to assume a significant leadership role in this important musical culture of the city in the years to come.
1–6 p.m. - Have lunch at your leisure and immerse yourself in the jazz scene for the afternoon. The festival features three full days of jazz on four unique stages on the grounds at Fort Adams State Park, situated at the mouth of Newport Harbor with panoramic views of the Newport Bridge and the East Passage. Experience world class musicians, food, crafts and a number of exhibits.
7 p.m. - All aboard for the Harbor Smugglers cocktail cruise on Rumrunner II, a 58 ft. wooden yacht built in Bayonne, NJ for the smuggling trade during the Prohibition Era. She’s one of the oldest vessels to take guests through Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. During the scenic cruise with live music on board, embrace your inner pirate and have a refreshing rum punch or beer.
Step off the Rumrunner and into the adjacent Black Pearl for a dinner with wine. Located on historic Bannister’s Wharf, the Black Pearl is a time honored establishment offering an authentic New England experience and upscale dining in the fashionable Commodore’s Room.
Sunday, August 5
10:30 a.m. - Trolley departs the mansion for Castle Hill Inn. Originally built in 1875 as a summer residence for a noted Harvard University marine biologist, this luxurious inn sits on an exclusive 40-acre peninsula bordering the ocean and is a coastal haven of romance and relaxation.
Enjoy a traditional brunch in the private Ocean Room and hear a talk on the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine by Abra Bush:
“Music making is therapeutic, but making a career out of music is destructive.”
Research has claimed that outstanding innovators in the world of jazz had above-average levels of drug and alcohol abuse, psychotic disorders and other mental health problems, hearing loss, and physical pain as a result of performance injuries. The Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine (CMM) is the first collaborative organization of its kind, bringing together artists and performers of the Peabody Institute with clinicians, researchers and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to explore the complex relationship between music and health, and the possibilities for healing through music. This commitment to the health and well-being of students and professional musicians is groundbreaking in the field of medical care for performing artists and an exciting interdisciplinary program at Johns Hopkins.
2 p.m. - Hop back on the trolley to Fort Adams State Park for the afternoon at the Jazz Festival and the remaining performances.
Be sure to devote some time to perusing the historic waterfront shopping district, considered a shopper’s paradise.
6–8 p.m. - Farewell gathering and wrap up session at the house with wine and beer and hors d’oeuvres.
Monday, August 6
Check out by 11 a.m. and departure
Lodging
Downtown Mansion (Woodbine Cottage and Apts.)
31 Old Beach Road
Newport, RI 02840
Our group reservation through Airbnb includes a Victorian House with 8 BR and 8 Baths on three floors; and two adjacent studio apartments that have 3 BR and 2.5 Baths. Rooms will vary and will be assigned on first come first served basis.
Experience the dream of living in a house in Newport RI. Set in a beautiful, quiet neighborhood within walking distance of mansions, shopping, restaurants, beaches and museums. Free parking for 10 cars (which is a premium in Newport), Wi-Fi, 8 bathrooms, internet tv, cd players, Central IPOD system, movie library, BBQ grill, Hardwood Fir parquet inlay floors, completely furnished with beautiful antiques from 1850's - 1920's, central heat and air conditioning, kitchen access with china and silverware, dishwasher, electric cooktop and oven, large verandah, hosting capabilities and more.
This house was built as the "Summer Cottage" for George Champlin Mason, Newport's most revered architect of the mid-19th century. It was later owned by a Countess from Russia, the Vanderbilts and the Brown family.
Walking to everything in Newport is possible and the lodging is located a few hundred feet from the closest trolley line.Taxi cabs will come right to the door.
Grocery and liquor stores, restaurants, shopping, and museums all are within a block or two. Both the beach and Cliff Walk are only a 5 minute walk away.
Festival Seating:
JHU tarps will be provided, but you may want to bring a low beach chair. Maximum height of chair back allowed is 30”.
Travel:
Providence airport is only 30 minutes away as is the closest train station in Kingston. You can take a bus or taxi the rest of the way. Private pilots can fly into the Newport Airport just a few miles up the road. Yacht owners can find a mooring to share and take the Harbor master's shuttle service.
Activity level:
Lodging has stairs and there is considerable walking anticipated at the festival grounds and in an around the house. Our accommodations are centrally located. Guests should plan to walk to the Friday night events at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and to and from the water taxi stations throughout the weekend.
