Newport Jazz Festival

Newport Jazz Festival, annual summer music festival, held at Newport, R.I. Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lorillard and George Wein, the first performance was held in July, 1954. The festival brings together jazz lovers and great figures of the jazz world. It has presented such performers as Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, and Billie Holliday as well as many European artists. Riots caused performance cancellations in 1960, 1969, and 1971, and in 1972 the festival was moved to New York City. It became a two-site festival in 1981 when it resumed in Newport, and there are now associated U.S. and international tours. Still directed by George Wein and sponsored by JVC since 1984, the festival has been known as the JVC Jazz Festival since 1986.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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