Robert D. Thompson 
The next time you dream of Bluebird ski days, summer alpine hikes, and all the other activities Aspen, Colorado has to offer, consider adding a music festival to that list. The City of Aspen and organizers of the Aspen Snowmass Jazz Festival provided an intimate, family-friendly experience with some of music’s brightest stars.
On Friday night, St. Paul and the Broken Bones brought their southern funk west to the Rockies as last-minute replacements for the previously headlining Black Pumas. Lead singer Paul Janeway seemed to pull everyone out of their lawn chairs to dance under a mountain sunset. The grass is definitely greener when St Paul and the Broken Bones take the stage.
Leon Bridges closed Friday night with a refreshing change of mood. Dark red lights acted as a moody backlight for her all-black sequenced costume. Bridges kept the party going playing all of his favorites, including our favorite, Texas Sun. His setlist shifted between his old favorites and his new, more pop hits. Festival exits were buzzing after two inspiring dance performances from our Southern favourites.
Saturday began with a convenient 10-minute shuttle ride to the festival site, followed by dinner and drinks before up-and-coming favorite Zach Bryan took the stage. For the second night in a row, the performance shone brighter than the pink Colorado sunset. An already successful young Zach Bryan and Friends shared his classic western sound in an authentic way. His biggest hit, “Something in the Orange”, seems to have been written for the Aspen Jazz Festival. It’s safe to say that Zach Bryan and his friends left Aspen with thousands of new super fans.
After what most would consider an impossible show to follow, Chris Stapleton surprised no one by doing just that. Chris, his wife, Morgan, and their solid harmonies delivered some of our all-time favorites up close and personal. The Stapleton duo and their equally talented band shared a mix of hits and covers that ignited the crowd with a truly unique performance.
Sunday continued with more of the same with Little Big Town and Stevie Nicks. Little Big Town surprised us with their showmanship and musical talent. Stevie Nicks drew on her solo and Fleetwood Mac songbooks to create a solid setlist. Three well-chosen covers triangulated the evening: “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield arrived at the start of the set. Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” amplified the end of his set. Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” provided the musical knockout blow and sent everyone home rhythmically satisfied and eager for a comeback next September.
