Jazz music; an art so familiar to many, has also perhaps taken a back seat to modern pop, rock and other genres of music in the past forty years. But for some, jazz is still very much alive and kicking. And nowhere is that better exemplified than at the Newport Jazz Festival, a sixty year tradition of emerging and established artists taking to the stages for endless hours of pure jazz music. ResortsandLodges sat down with Danny Melnick, Associate Producer for the festival, to chat about the history 60 years has shed on Newport, its community and of course jazz music.
RAL: So, 60 years is certainly a number that jumps out at me…walk me through the history of the event
DM: The Newport Jazz Festival started in 1954. George Wein, who at the time was living in Boston and running a jazz club called Storyville, was invited down to Newport by Elaine Lorillard and her husband, Louis, who were looking to shake things up in Newport…give the town a fresh breath of life so to speak. Story goes, George (the mind behind the festival) decided it would be a fun idea to get a bunch of jazz artists together and put on a concert/festival. Of course, he didn’t really know what that meant or how that looked at the time, but he knew he liked the idea.
With George as the producer of the festival, things kicked into high gear. July 17th and 18th, 1954 marked the first ever Newport Jazz Festival, held at the Newport Casino. The festival grew in popularity as the years passed, though there were years in the 60’s where there wasn’t a festival for financial and other reasons. Ultimately a riot at the festival in 1971 led Newport to exile the festival from its hallowed grounds.
The festival moved to New York City. George, who owned the name “Newport Jazz Festival” brought the festival to the hustle and bustle of the big city and simply called it, “The Newport Jazz Festival in New York.” In 1981, George moved the festival back to Newport at Fort Adams State Park, where the festival still takes place to this day. The new vibe of the festival George brought with him has been a staple in the surrounding community ever since.
RAL: What does the demographic look like at the festival?
DM: The interesting thing about the jazz festival and about jazz music in general, is that it has a very diverse and wide appeal. It might not be the most popular music in the world, but there is no question that when you come to a jazz festival, you will see an incredibly diverse crowd. At a jazz festival, it is very interesting because there are people from every walk of life. Definitely family friendly, definitely a handful of upper-echelon types of people, and we certainly get a lot of people in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s that come to the festival.
Jazz right now is being played by a lot of young people around the country. This adds an element to our demographic because a lot of these young kids are emerging artists that we sign to play at the festival. As a result of that, their music appeals to a lot of their own contemporaries. So all of these various elements really bring together a diverse and exciting demographic.
RAL: What does the attendance amount to?
DM: The ballpark figure is typically around 20,000. This year, I think it is going to be more because we added an event. The jazz festival is usually a Friday night concert at the original site, and then we head to Fort Adams State Park Saturday and Sunday. This year, we are going to be at the park Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but still have our traditional Friday night concert at the Tennis Hall of Fame, so we expect more than 20,000 this year.
RAL: What can I expect to come across at the festival other than Jazz? What is the culture like?
DM: The culture is very relaxed and friendly. People are very respectful of one another, so it makes for an inviting atmosphere. We have three separate stages on site, two of which are under very large tents with folding chairs – so the weather is never an issue. The main stage is situated along the wall of Fort Adams, which is the largest fort on American Coastal Territory. Fort Adams State Park is absolutely spectacular; the main stage actually has the artists looking at the water, with spectators facing away from the water, which is a unique approach to our event.
We have a very nice crafts area, artist CD signings, festival merchandise, beer gardens, wine tastings, etc. We also have Greek food, Thai food, various food trucks, Italian food…you name it, we probably have it. By the way, the lobster rolls are George Wein’s (festival founder) favorite, and he doesn’t leave the festival without having one. When you combine this atmosphere with all 3 stages of music and the history behind the event, it really makes for a spectacular time.
RAL: What does the festival mean to the community?
DM: Well, I would say it is on two different levels. Historically, the festival is world renowned. People know Newport in large part for this particular event. Of course, the city of Newport has benefited in many ways from the festival and vice versa. There is fantastic dining, shopping, activities, etc. all over the place. Newport by itself already has a lot going for it.
Now in the sense of what this festival brings to the community, of course, it carries a large economic impact. A lot of the hotels and inns are at capacity long before the festival even begins, the restaurants are doing tremendous business and the shops are selling product at a nice rate. It is interesting…a lot of the attendees of the festival are traveling from outside of Newport to come to the festival. A lot of the local residents are the ones working in the shops, restaurants, etc. who would like to be at the festival, but are busy running the community. Very interesting dynamic.
Want to learn more about the 60th Anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival? Click here.
Photo Credit: Ayano Hisa