REMEMBERING - New Jersey Jazz Society

JerseyReviewsJazzNot-the-NewportJazz FestivalStory and photos by Mitchell SeidelIn August, George Wein held a jazz festivalin Newport Rhode Island. If this were likeany other year in Wein’s life, that would notbe all that unusual. But this year wasdifferent.The mere fact that a jazz festival was held atNewport at all was something of a miracle.In 2007, Wein, the longtime producer of theevent with his Festival Productions, had soldhis company to a new one that becameknown as Festival Network. They continuedproducing Newport, with Wein as a majorparticipant. But when the new company raninto money problems last year, it looked asif Newport — and Wein’s legacy — was indanger.Tenor saxophonist James Carter performs with hisorgan trio at George Wein's CareFusion JazzFestival 55 in Newport, RI. August 2009.Festival Network’s plans for the venerableWein-founded jazz and folk festivals in theseaside resort town for this year werescrapped and it looked very much therewasn’t going to be any music in Fort AdamsState Park in August.Who would save this legacy? Wein himself.To use an appropriate phrase, Wein got theband back together and took matters intohis own hands, taking over the FestivalNetwork scheduled dates to produce thefolk and jazz festivals himself, without thebenefit of major name sponsors or thecompany he used to own. While the folkfestival went on without outside support, aCalifornia-based medical technologycompany stepped in with barely a month togo and became a name sponsor for GeorgeWein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival 55. Theslightly clumsy name was prompted by theamalgam of a new sponsor, the 55th anniversaryof Wein’s original effort in 1954 andFestival Network’s still owning the rights tothe name “Newport Jazz Festival.” Toproduce the event, Wein assembled any ofthe old hands he used in the days at FestivalProductions. And despite the late notice forbookings, he was still able to attract nametalents who all seemed to be participatingwith a “let’s do this one for George” spirit.“It’s my life, my legacy…” Wein toldJazzTimes magazine. “I couldn’t let it die.”The 11th-hour nature of the festivalmanaged to keep attendance down on bothSaturday and Sunday, but sunny skies andwarm temperatures the first day boosted a4,000 advance sale with an additional 2,000walk-ups. Grey skies Sunday kept the crowdto 4,500 with few last-minuteattendees. Still, if it was your first timeat Newport, you probably wouldn'thave noticed anythingwas amiss,except for the unexpectedbenefit ofhotel rooms stillavailable as thefestival approached.Another benefit oflighter crowds wasthat the festival justseemed less congested.WalkingFestival producer George Wein reminisces about theorigins of the Newport Jazz Festival while moderator andbassist Christian McBride listens during this year’sfestival at Newport.among the three stages that bordered thebrick and embankment fort became more ofa stroll and less of a gridlock-navigatingrace. While in the past you might be forcedto make artistic decisions as to which ofthree nearly concurrent but slightlystaggered acts to catch due to timeconstraints, this year it was it was easier tomanage a larger sampling. And when thewaterside performance space sported thename of Branford Marsalis’s Marsalis Musiclabel, it seemed more like an identifier andless like another billboard for a sponsor’sproduct.Few other festivals draw upon the allure ofthe venue as a major part of the presentationas does Newport. Ever since the 1959film “Jazz on a Summer’s Day,” fans conjureup scenes of watercraft and heads bobbingin unison to the music in the open air.Tony Bennett acknowledges Dave Brubeck, left,after the two performed together.Saxophonist Joshua Redman meets with some young fans backstage.42_________________________________ October 2009