{"id":1252,"date":"2020-07-24T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T05:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=1252"},"modified":"2021-06-21T14:07:54","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T19:07:54","slug":"newport-jazz-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/newport-jazz-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"A History of the Newport Jazz Festival \u2013 Chapter II: Diminuendo and Crescendo, 1956"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 1956 Newport Jazz Festival\u2019s 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 while also having an earlier start time. Much of the festival took place under torrential rain, however, under Wein\u2019s \u201crain or shine\u201d policy, other than moving the scheduled panel discussion indoors, the event proceeded as planned and thousands still attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thursday, July 5th, the audience experienced music from a mixture of older and new names, including Count Basie, Percy Heath, Milt Jackson, Connie Kay, John Lewis, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Roy Haynes, Sarah Vaughn, and Joe Williams. The Charles Mingus Sextet debuted two pieces commissioned by the Foundation. Two gifted immigrant female pianists also impressed listeners. Toshiko Akiyoshi, freshly transported from Japan, gave a peak out of the impressive music scene developing there. Jutta Hipp was a reminder of jazz\u2019s role as a music of freedom. Growing up in Leipzig, at threat of death she had to hide her love of what was deemed \u201cdegenerate\u201d music from the oppressive Nazi government. By the mid-1950s she moved to the United States and recorded with Blue Note Records, a label co-founded by Francis Wolff who came to the country to flee the same horrific regime. Unlike Akiyoshi, who would ultimately become a legendary pianist, Hipp soon gave up her life of music. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>