We continue our conversation with Christian McBride by discussing his thoughts on the connection between music and sports, his work as a DJ, the concept of genre, and some more on the Newport Jazz Festival and his role as its Artistic Director. Part one of our discussion can be found here. PG: Miles Davis used to […]
From its founding in 1954 until 2019, the Newport Jazz Festival had been canceled only once, for a single year following the unruly behavior of non-attendees in 1960. The event also spent a decade relocated in New York City, but still bore the Newport moniker, continuing its legacy from afar. But, as with much else, […]
For most music festivals, the loss of a longtime sponsor could be a death knell. After all, organizers killed the Newport Rhythm and Blues Festival due to its inability to maintain a steady sponsor. The death of the company hosting the event on top of it would be – for most – a certain end. […]
With the success of the 50th Anniversary event, Festival Productions Inc. quickly began work on the 2005 Festival. Like the immediately preceding year, George Wein would be unable to attend the Fort’s proceedings. This time it was not due to his own health but that of his wife’s. Joyce Wein was a brilliant woman. Originally […]
An intense and unceasing downpour left a twenty-eight-year-old George Wein with the difficult question of whether to abruptly cancel his new jazz festival. In response, he adopted a “rain or shine” policy which refused to stop the music. This mindset served the Newport Jazz Festival well over the years. The special 50th-anniversary edition was itself […]
In the four decades since the Newport Jazz festival first took place in 1954, it became a global brand with its production company- Festival Productions, Inc.- hosting hundreds of festivals worldwide. But only one other of their events took place in the city-by-the-sea; the Newport Folk Festival. This changed in 1995 with the birth of […]
The 1990s was a period of change. The geopolitical order in place for nearly half a century ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first American president to be born after the Second World War took office, bringing different attitudes and policies to the office. Rapid technological development – specifically the rise of […]
Created in 1927, The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, Limited – more commonly known as Japan Victor Company (JVC) – was originally a Japanese subsidiary of America’s Victor Talking Machine Company. The parent was the most prominent photograph and record company of the era, renown for its Victrola record players. By 1929, the Victor […]
“We’re Back” announced the front page of The Providence Journal, complete with a photo of a smiling George Wein, upon the news of the Newport Jazz Festival’s return to America’s First Resort. And while it was indeed a cause for celebration, the newly reborn festival differed significantly from its predecessor. These differences emerged primarily from […]
After the destructive summer of 1971, George Wein wanted to keep the legacy of the Newport Jazz Festival alive but realized any continuation needed to take place elsewhere. He ultimately decided upon relocating the event 180 miles South West to New York City. By the early 1970s, the once-great home for jazz was in artistic […]
