George Wein Brings Storyville to Newport Jazz Festival

NEWPORT, R.I. - May 19, 2015 - PRLog -- George Wein’s life in music took its most important turn when Newport socialite Elaine Lorillard walked into his jazz club, Storyville, with a Boston University professor in 1953. Lorillard and her husband Louis were interested in bringing some excitement to Newport and the professor thought Wein was just the person to help. From that meeting, Wein developed the idea to present a jazz festival, and now, 61 years later, Wein is bringing Storyville to the Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management.

Storyville, a new intimate festival stage that will be located in the Museum of Yachting at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, will feature piano performances by Frank Kimbrough, Helen Sung, Christian Sands, Aaron Diehl, Giorgi Mikadze and the 11-year old prodigy, Joey Alexander. In addition, Grammy Award®-winning author and music historian Ashley Kahn will curate two seminars each day on renowned trumpet player Miles Davis, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Davis’ first performance at Newport on July 17, 1955.

“Bringing Storyville to Newport is an exciting concept for me, and I’m looking forward to presenting my two loves – the jazz club atmosphere and the outdoor festival – at Fort Adams, ” said Wein, festival founder and producer. “Each of these pianists has something different to say, and a great way to hear what they’re saying is to spend time with them up close and personal. The 100-seat ‘club’ is the perfect place for intimate piano performances and to interact with Ashley Kahn as he shares his knowledge about Miles.”

George Wein’s Storyville opened in 1950 in Boston’s Copley Square Hotel. A nearly 200-seat room frequently filled with dynamic artists and dedicated jazz fans, the club launched with Bob Wilber and went on to present some of the world’s most renowned jazz artists, including Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. For a decade, the club was the place to be in Boston. As George wrote in his book about the original club, Storyville at the Newport Jazz Festival won’t have a “bad seat in the house;” and when you leave to go to another stage, the producer hopes you will share his feeling when Satchmo first played Storyville: “Life was very, very beautiful right there and then.”

The 2015 edition of America’s first annual jazz festival will feature Chris Botti, Cassandra Wilson, Jamie Cullum, Snarky Puppy, Maria Schneider, Arturo Sandoval, Dr. John, Jack DeJohnette: Made in Chicago, Kenny Garrett, Billy Childs, Arturo O’Farrill, Fred Hersch, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Kneebody, Hiromi, Michel Camilo, Jon Faddis, James Carter, Christian McBride, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern/Bill Evans Band, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tom Harrell, Pat Martino, Matana Roberts, John Hollenbeck, Ms. Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton and many others.

For more information on the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, go to www.newportjazzfest.org or www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.