Blue Note Jazz Festival: Final day brings Chance the Rapper, surprise guests to Napa

Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
NAPA — The final day of Blue Note Jazz Festival brought headliner Chance the Rapper as well as Gary Clark Jr., PJ Morton, Mos Def, Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff, the duo of Anderson .Paak and Knwledge (NxWorries), Cory Henry, Taylor and Bobby McFerrin, and Derrick Hodge, among many others like hosts Dave Chapelle and Robert Glasper for a star-studded evening of jazz and hip-hop.
Let’s get into our favorite moments.

Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
Chicago’s Chance the Rapper went on a jaunt through his wide catalog of albums and mixtapes. Joined by his band, he began with “No Problem” and “Blessings,” both of 2016’s Coloring Book. But when it came time to do something off of his first album, Acid Rap, he turned to a new arrangement of “Everybody’s Somebody’s Everything,” in a major key, complete with horns to match the Coloring Book vibe.
It was a surprising move, but one with clear artistic intent. Acid Rap celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The album is still much beloved and recently re-released on Spotify. Even so, Chance turns 30 this year. And he isn’t the kid he was when he cut those songs. He’s a community role model, a father and a more mature artist. It’s clear that he hasn’t left the music of Acid Rap behind. It’s just matured with him.
“This is my first time in Napa Valley. I’m seein’ a lot of Black people here from the Bay, so I imagine it’s y’all first time in Napa, too,” Chance said, to an eruption of laughter in the front rows.
Chance then brought out Vic Mensa for an album-faithful rendition of “Cocoa Butter Kisses.” It was supposed to the end of the night, but he had other plans.
“I promised Dave Chappelle that would be my last song, but I break promises all the time!” he shouted.
For his final final song, Chance sang “Same Drugs” backed up by his singers.
But the show just couldn’t end. Even if it was as perfect as that. Blue Note Jazz festival emcee Dave Chappelle came onstage and with Chance introduced Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) who performed his song “UMI Says.” After everything settled, it was Chappelle who got the last word, leading the audience in an a capella singalong of Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love.”

Gary Clark Jr. performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
“What I’m tryna say is… I’ll see you next year, bitches!”
Blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. opened his set at Blue Note Jazz Festival with one of his most well-known songs, “Bright Lights,” flipping his plectrum into the audience afterward. The Texas native followed that up with “Ain’t Messin’ Around” and “The Healing.”
Then his band members made themselves scarce and Clark broke out his slide for “My Baby’s Gone.” On his songs, the guitar plays hero. On Sunday it sang, wailed and chopped. Equalized to perfection and overdriven until just reaches the speakers’ breaking point, it sounded dirty and irresistible.
And what his guitar didn’t do, his soulful, breathy tenor filled in. During “Our Love,” his voice jumped up to a register so high it abandoned previous associations with rock and nailed a high-pitched sound that was unmistakably soul.
Anderson .Paak isn’t known for his subtlety, but his showmanship with producer Knxwledge is off the charts.
“All the ladies with the good p***y make some noise!” he announced, smiling through pearly white teeth.

NxWORRIES (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
Anderson .Paak doesn’t need to say he’s “doing this number for the ladies” at any point. That’s his whole thing. He also displayed exceptional bravery for performing in near 90-degree heat clad in an all-black suit and a thick fur hat.
His and Knxwledge’s performance as NxWorries consisted mostly of songs from 2016’s Yes Lawd! (such as “Lyk Dis” and “Suede”) as well as new single “Daydreaming,” teased off an forthcoming album.
At one point, Knxlwedge began spinning classic soul and R&B records while .Paak disappeared, only to reappear in a hot pink suit accompanied by a conga line of women from the audience. He danced with each one one-on-one before he walked offstage, his pink blazer soaked with the evidence of his good performance. Never let it be said Anderson .Paak doesn’t put in work for his shows.
PJ Morton exploded onto the Footprints stage and didn’t disappoint. “Sticking to My Guns,” had so many moving parts it felt as if the beat could fall apart at any second and his band delighted in this musical ecstasy. They traded glances and solos, and themselves moved like a larger instrument.
Then, Morton stepped away from his keyboard to sing “Ready.” In an interesting twist that could only be done live, he seamlessly transitioned from “Lil’ Too Heavy” into “Alright.” The former is about helplessness and anxiety, but when he switched into the sunnier latter number, he created this lovely narrative between pieces from two different albums. Maybe now things are too heavy, but they will be all right someday.
Morton concluded with a cover of “How Deep is Your Love?” by the Bee Gees.
Earlier in the afternoon, Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff built their set around the theme of 50 years of hip-hop. Jazzy Jeff began by spinning records from old-school greats like the Beastie Boys before bringing out “the God MC” for a rap sheet of Rakim’s greatest hits like “Don’t Sweat the Technique,” “Microphone Fiend” and “In the Ghetto.”
The friendship between the two was palpable onstage. Even though they only recently started performing together, they slipped into banter so perfectly that it bordered on becoming a skit. The pair ended with an extended turntable solo by Jeff and a rendition of “Paid in Full,” for which Rakim brought an entire brass section onstage with him.
Cory Henry, a former member of Snarky Puppy and some-time Ye collaborator, began his set with “Lead Ya” and delivered a swooning organ solo with all the complexity you would expect of a jazz prodigy. After the first song, Henry smiled and asked, “Is that all right?” as if to set the tone for the final day of Blue Note Jazz festival.
Derrick Hodge was first up on stage on Sunday, as fans filed in. He plucked complex jazz solos over soft piano and drumming on his teal sunburst five-string bass. Hodge closed out a mellow set with his song “Angels.”

Rakim and Chance the Rapper perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
Throughout the day hosts Robert Glasper and Dave Chappelle were seemingly everywhere. But Glasper also had a set of his own, with Chappelle chatting on stage and a killer lineup of guest vocalists and MCs with a band backing them up. The atmosphere was as casual as a house party where talented people wandered onstage, performed as long as they liked and then left when they felt like it. That made it possible for some really cool things to happen.
Comedian Hannibal Buress spit a high-energy freestyle rap. Amir Sulaiman improvised a verse about living in the present. Phillip Bailey of Earth, Wind, and Fire sang a verse with Bilal and others.
“Give it up for Black music!” Chappelle yelled at one point, signaling the band to launch into Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” He even changed the lyrics to fit: “Here we are now/ Napa Valley!”
In a break with convention, Chance the Rapper also came out before his headlining set to join the fun by freestyling over the beat to “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest and covering “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G. He was backed up by Rakim throwing out ad-libs after his verse.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Gary Clark Jr. performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Gary Clark Jr. performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- NxWORRIES (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- NxWORRIES (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- NxWORRIES (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Anderson .Paak performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Anderson .Paak performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- DJ Jazzy Jeff performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Robert Glasper and Rakim perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Hannibal Buress performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Dave Chappelle performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Rakim performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Anderson .Paak performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Vic Mensa performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- DJ Jazzy Jeff performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- De La Soul and Dave Chappelle perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival in at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Bilal, Philip Bailey and Lalah Hathaway perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Bilal, Philip Bailey and Lalah Hathaway perform at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Chante Moore performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- Robert Glasper performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
- PJ Morton performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 30, 2023.
Follow photographer Derek Fisher at Instagram.com/dfishswish.