Puddingstone

Puddingstone Music invites audiences to another off-island excursion as it returns to the Jamestown Arts Center to welcome New York City–based pianist Randy Ingram and his latest project, Sound Within: A Celebration of Bill Evans.

Pianist and composer Randy Ingram has been hailed as “gifted” by JazzTimes and as “a pianist drawn to contemporary harmony and a sleek rhythmic sensibility… Astute, self-possessed” by The New York Times. Ingram’s artistry as a pianist and composer is also on full display on his 2024 trio record Aries Dance, a celebration of musical motion and expression featuring legendary drummer Billy Hart alongside esteemed bassist Drew Gress; the album received a 4.5-star review in DownBeat.

Previously, Ingram released several acclaimed recordings on Sunnyside Records in duo, trio, and quartet formats. He has also performed and recorded with leading musicians including John Patitucci, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Ari Hoenig, Mike Clark, Ben Monder, Tierney Sutton, Toninho Horta, Jon Irabagon, Ingrid Jensen, Kendrick Scott, Jaleel Shaw, and the late Billy Higgins.

Sound Within features drummer Joe La Barbera, who performed in Bill Evans’s final trio with bassist Marc Johnson. La Barbera became a mentor to Ingram during the pianist’s formative years in Southern California, making his participation a celebration of two integral musical relationships, generations apart. The trio is rounded out by bassist and composer Rufus Reid, who served a brief but important stint in Evans’s trio during 1978, including engagements at New York’s Village Vanguard and the Jazz Workshop in Boston.

As Reid has shared with Ingram, he was initially nervous about following in Eddie Gómez’s footsteps, but Evans reassured him that he had been invited for his own individual voice rather than to imitate someone else’s.

Doors open at 7:00 PM

An Evening of Classical Fusion and Jazz Puddingstone Music invites audiences to an intimate summer evening at Rough Point with guitarist and composer Thatcher Harrison, whose distinctive style blends classical technique, fingerstyle guitar, and jazz-inspired expression. The program will feature Gershwin’s “Love Is Here to Stay” alongside original works that showcase Harrison’s imaginative voice and genre-crossing artistry. Set in one of Newport’s most iconic historic settings, Thatcher Harrison: Guitar Serenade at Rough Point offers a salon-style concert experience that brings listeners into close connection with the performer and the music. Harrison is known for crafting unconventional programs that move fluidly between classical, jazz, and contemporary influences, creating performances that are both virtuosic and warmly personal. Puddingstone is also delighted to feature a selection of Kevin Calisto’s paintings at the August 21 Musical Salon, where his visual work will enrich the evening’s immersive fusion of music and art. A Rhode Island artist and educator, Calisto holds an MFA in Drawing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and has exhibited his work extensively across New England, most recently at the Kendall Reiss Gallery in Bristol, Rhode Island. Following the concert, guests are invited to a terrace reception and artist meet-and-greet, offering the opportunity to enjoy the coastal setting at sunset and connect with the artist in an informal, elegant atmosphere. The evening reflects Puddingstone Music’s commitment to presenting distinctive musical experiences in Newport’s historic spaces.

Tickets are $55. Active military, veterans, and students receive a 15% discount.