In 1954, George Wein created an event that changed not just the history of jazz but of music in general, shaping all forms of the modern festival while providing a space in which art could be approached in a serious and respectful – yet not limited- manner. This series traces the history of the legendary Newport Jazz Festival from before its formation in the 1950s to the present day.
- A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Prologue: Born in Storyville, 1950-1954
In September of 1950, twenty-four-year-old George Wein used his college savings to open a nightclub, Storyville, at Boston’s Copley Square Hotel. The venue boldly planned to present jazz in a new light. Taking its name from the legendary New Orleans… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Prologue: Born in Storyville, 1950-1954 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter I: A New Tradition, 1954-1955
By 9:18 PM on the evening of July 17, 1954, Eddie Condon’s tribute to Dixieland finally began its delayed performance. Next was vocalist Lee Wiley, a jam session, and then a series of musicians who in hindsight left an indelible… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter I: A New Tradition, 1954-1955 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter II: Diminuendo and Crescendo, 1956
The 1956 Newport Jazz Festival’s schedule was adjusted slightly compared to the prior two outings. While still a three-day event with a focus on nighttime performances, it was moved up a day to begin on Thursday and end on Saturday… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter II: Diminuendo and Crescendo, 1956 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter III: Goodbye Newport Blues, 1957-1960
The 1957 Festival extended to four days – Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 7- with every minute captured by Voice of America. Most were also recorded, though much remains unreleased, by Norman Granz’s Verve Records. The first evening centered… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter III: Goodbye Newport Blues, 1957-1960 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IV: Revival, 1961-1964
Following the riots of the prior summer, there was no Newport Jazz Festival in 1961. However, the city had not abandoned the idea of being a cultural center for jazz. Instead, promoter Sid Bernstein hosted “Music at Newport.” In some… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IV: Revival, 1961-1964 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968
Despite its rough shape, the new site was at a fantastic location. Near the JT Connell Highway, it had sufficient space for both a large stage – more than a third bigger than the prior one – and extensive audience… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VI: Electric Aquidneck Experiment, 1969
At the time of the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954, there were two primary ways to enter the city on Aquidneck Island. From the North, travelers would cross the Mount Hope Bridge. But most traffic came from the West,… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VI: Electric Aquidneck Experiment, 1969 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VII: Memory of a Giant, 1970-1971
In some ways, the near riotous circumstances at Festival Field in July of 1969 was a precursor of an event which would occur the following month on farmland in Bethel, New York. Woodstock featured a few artists who were in… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VII: Memory of a Giant, 1970-1971 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VIII: Fortress in the Wings, 1972-1980
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VIII: Fortress in the Wings, 1972-1980 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IX: Homecoming, 1981-1983
“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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IX: Homecoming, 1981-1983 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter X: Smooth Sailing?, 1984-1989
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter X: Smooth Sailing?, 1984-1989 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XI: Futures, 1990-1994
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XI: Futures, 1990-1994 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XII: Expansion, 1995-2003
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XII: Expansion, 1995-2003 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIII: Echoes of the Past, 2004
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIII: Echoes of the Past, 2004 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIV: Destinations, 2005-2009
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIV: Destinations, 2005-2009 - A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XV: Passing the Torch, 2009-2016
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… Read more: A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XV: Passing the Torch, 2009-2016 - Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part One)
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… Read more: Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part One) - Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part Two)
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… Read more: Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part Two) - Observations from Day One of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival
After a year canceled by COVID-19, audience members on July 31st, the first day of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival could feel the lingering effects of the pandemic. There was a sixty percent cap on attendance. Half of the stages… Read more: Observations from Day One of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival - Observations from Day Two of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival
2020 was a pivotal year in the history of civil rights. While a prominent case, George Floyd’s murder was no more the beginning of the struggle than his killer’s conviction was its end. Racial justice has served as a central… Read more: Observations from Day Two of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival - Observations from Day Three of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival
Jimmy Heath. Tony Allen. Chick Corea. Wallace Roney. McCoy Tyner. The names and pictures of iconic artists who passed since the last Newport Jazz Festival regularly flashed on both stage’s large screens between sets. While the Festival had made such… Read more: Observations from Day Three of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival - Informed by Art: Signmaker Nan Parati on Newport, New Orleans, and Her Craft
“Stop.” “Exit.” “Wet Floor.” From a purely functional perspective, readers encounter signs countless times throughout their day. They have become so commonplace that many are understandable by mere symbols without text. But at what point does a sign become more… Read more: Informed by Art: Signmaker Nan Parati on Newport, New Orleans, and Her Craft - What the World Needs Now: Christian McBride on the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival and the Legacy of George Wein
In many ways, this summer’s edition of the Newport Jazz Festival is similar to years past. It will be held at Fort Adams, the event’s home since 1981. Newport will still serve as a barometer of the state of improvised… Read more: What the World Needs Now: Christian McBride on the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival and the Legacy of George Wein - What to See at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival – Friday
Especially after attending for nearly two decades, this author has a deep admiration and respect for the Newport Jazz Festival. Our site extensively covers the history of the legendary festival from before its formation to the present. Under normal circumstances,… Read more: What to See at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival – Friday - What to See at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival – Saturday
Especially after attending for nearly two decades, this author has a deep admiration and respect for the Newport Jazz Festival. Our site extensively covers the history of the legendary festival from before its formation to the present.Under normal circumstances, our… Read more: What to See at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival – Saturday - What to See at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival – Sunday
Especially after attending for nearly two decades, this author has a deep admiration and respect for the Newport Jazz Festival. Our site extensively covers the history of the legendary festival from before its formation to the present. Under normal circumstances,… Read more: What to See at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival – Sunday - The Recorded Legacy: Five Newport Performances that Changed Music History
One cannot adequately assess the history of the Newport Jazz Festival without examining the recordings captured at the event through the years. In many ways approaching the recorded history of Newport is a gargantuan task. Discogs currently reflects 3,292 Newport… Read more: The Recorded Legacy: Five Newport Performances that Changed Music History - Getting Them There: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Driver/Photographer Jack Casey
Anyone who frequents the Newport Jazz or Folk Facebook groups would likely recognize the name Jack Casey. For the last few years, Casey has regularly shared with these groups memories of artists he’s captured at Fort Adams over the past almost four decades. Given… Read more: Getting Them There: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Driver/Photographer Jack Casey - Even the Sparrow: James Brandon Lewis Previews his 2023 Newport Jazz Festival Performance
Ingrained in jazz, hip hop, punk, gospel, and R&B, tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis has discovered a unique way to give equal footing to concepts many would categorically divide. His broad perspective is largely based on his concept of molecular… Read more: Even the Sparrow: James Brandon Lewis Previews his 2023 Newport Jazz Festival Performance - Armstrong Now: Giveton Gelin Previews Louis at Newport
When one considers a historical museum, thoughts of those no longer with us often come to mind. Figures who made their mark but then left this world. Technically, the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens, commemorates the life of… Read more: Armstrong Now: Giveton Gelin Previews Louis at Newport - Magic is Real: Vijay Iyer Previews the ‘Love in Exile’ Trio’s 2023 Newport Jazz Festival Performance
Often the best music seemingly transports the listener – by the artist’s direction – to another time and place. The music envelopes the audience, disorienting them temporarily but ultimately giving them a path to follow. While recordings can capture this… Read more: Magic is Real: Vijay Iyer Previews the ‘Love in Exile’ Trio’s 2023 Newport Jazz Festival Performance - Tide is My Witness: Cautious Clay Previews his 2023 Newport Jazz Festival Performance and New Blue Note Album
Jazz music has long had an interesting, albeit complicated, relationship with more popular musical forms. Swing bands were the pop music craze of the 1930s and 40s. With the emergence of bop, particularly during the postwar era, the lines between… Read more: Tide is My Witness: Cautious Clay Previews his 2023 Newport Jazz Festival Performance and New Blue Note Album - Friends Old and New: Artistic Director Christian McBride Previews the 2023 Newport Jazz Festival
We conclude our series of 2023 Newport Jazz Festival pre-event interviews with a conversation with Christian McBride. Fittingly, our third interview with McBride covers his three roles at the Newport Jazz Festival: bass heavyweight, skilled educator, and curator. McBride’s bona… Read more: Friends Old and New: Artistic Director Christian McBride Previews the 2023 Newport Jazz Festival - Observations from Day One of the 2023 Newport Jazz Festival
On Friday, August 4, 2023, the historic Newport Jazz Festival presented a highly pleasurable afternoon of music, as it has for almost seven decades. But across the day, one sensed something more. While audience members enjoyed themselves, a more significant… Read more: Observations from Day One of the 2023 Newport Jazz Festival