The Newport Jazz Festival is an iconic annual event that brings together some of the best jazz musicians from around the world. Established in 1954 by Elaine and Louis Lorillard, the festival has been held in Newport, Rhode Island every summer since. George Wein was hired to organize the first festival and bring jazz to Rhode Island. The festival has grown over the years and now takes place in two locations: the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Fort Adams State Park.
The festival organizers saw the need to move the festival out of the city center, as the stagnation caused by the festival was a controversial point in the community. A suitable site, actually a simple but wide field, which would be known as Festival Field, was identified, and the move was completed for the 1965 festival. The Newport Jazz Festival allows ADA-recognized service animals* specifically trained to assist a person with a disability at all events. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not allowed at festivals. If you choose one of the hotels in Newport near the festival site, there's a good chance you'll stay close to the water. In addition to the elegant rooms, the hotel houses a restaurant and a spa and offers special packages for jazz festivals. Saturday's programming mixed jazz acts, such as Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis, with rock, blues and R&B artists such as John Mayall, Sly & The Family Stone, Frank Zappa and his band The Mothers of Invention, and O.
J. Sunday's bill included a morning performance by Brubeck's oratio The Light in the Wilderness, an afternoon set by James Brown, and a nightly finale led by British rock band Led Zeppelin, jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock, blues guitarists B. B. King and Buddy Guy. The 1960 event was also notable for the presence of a rival jazz festival that took place at the Cliff Walk Manor Hotel, just a few blocks away.
That company now owns and operates the Newport festival and controls the legacy brand of the Newport Jazz Festival. In 1981, George Wein brought the Newport Jazz Festival to Newport, in part to preserve the legacy of the Newport Jazz Festival and to protect his interest in the name of the Newport Jazz Festival. He pioneered music festivals and led many festivals in addition to the Newport Jazz Festival during his career. A classical music festival is held annually in Newport in July, and in August a revived jazz festival is held there. If you're looking for an unforgettable experience filled with amazing music from some of today's top jazz musicians, then you won't want to miss out on this incredible event!.
