George Wein | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Wein at theNewport Jazz Festival in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1925-10-03)October 3, 1925 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 2021(2021-09-13) (aged 95) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Festival producer, concert promoter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, vocals |
| Labels | Arbors |
George Wein (October 3, 1925 – September 13, 2021) was an Americanjazz promoter, pianist, and producer.[1] He was the founder of theNewport Jazz Festival, which is held every summer inNewport, Rhode Island. He also co-founded theNewport Folk Festival withPete Seeger andTheodore Bikel and was instrumental in the founding of theNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Wein was born inLynn, Massachusetts, on October 3, 1925.[2][3] His father, Barnet, worked as aear, nose, and throat doctor; his mother, Ruth, was an amateur piano player.[2][4] Both of his parents wereJewish.[5] Wein was raised inNewton and began learning the piano when he was eight.[2] He developed a passion for jazz while attendingNewton High School,[2] where he formed his first jazz band.[4] He studied atBoston University, where he led a small group which played professionally aroundBoston. After serving in the U.S. Army duringWorld War II, he graduated from Boston University's College of Liberal Arts in 1950.[6][7]
After graduation, Wein opened theStoryville jazz club at Boston's Copley Square Hotel.[8] While the club was an initial success, after only six weeks it was forced to close.[9] It would later reopen at the Buckminster Hotel nearFenway Park.[10] Over time, Wein also established theStoryville record label.[4] He also taught a course at Boston University on the history of jazz.[11][12]
In 1954, Louis andElaine Lorillard invited Wein to organize a festival in their hometown of Newport, Rhode Island, with funding to be provided by them; the festival was the first outdoor jazz festival in the United States[1] and became an annual tradition in Newport. Wein was subsequently instrumental in the founding of a number of festivals in other cities, including theNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,[13] and thePlayboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, and established theNewport Folk Festival.[4][11] In the 1960s he set up Festival Productions, a company dedicated to promoting large-scale jazz events.[2]
Wein pioneered the idea of corporate sponsorship for his events. His Schlitz Salute to Jazz and Kool Jazz Festival were the first jazz events to put sponsors in the title:Schlitz beer andKool cigarettes. Festival Productions organizes theJVC Jazz Festival at Newport and JVC Jazz Festivals in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, Warsaw, and Tokyo.[2] Other title sponsors of Festival Productions events include Mellon Bank,[14]Essence magazine,[15]Verizon,[16]Ben & Jerry's, andDunkin' Donuts.[2]
Wein received a wide array of honors for his work with jazz concerts. He received the Patron of the Arts Award from theStudio Museum ofHarlem in 1995,[17] and was recognized with an Impact Award from theAARP in 2004.[18] He was decorated with France'sLégion d'honneur and appointed a Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Commander of the Order of Arts and Literature) by the French government. He has been honored at theWhite House by two American presidents,Jimmy Carter in 1978 andBill Clinton in 1993. In 2005, he was named a "Jazz Master" by theNational Endowment for the Arts. His autobiography,Myself Among Others: A Life in Music was singled out as 2004's best book about jazz by theJazz Journalists Association. Wein received honorary degrees from theBerklee College of Music and Rhode Island College of Music, and was a lifetime Honorary Trustee ofCarnegie Hall.[19]
Wein was a distinguished member of the Board of Directors Advisory committee of theJazz Foundation of America. He has also performed and presented at the Jazz Foundation's benefit concert "A Great Night in Harlem". He presented the Saint of Jazz award to Harry Elias of JVC America in 2002.[20]
In 1959, Wein married Joyce Alexander (1928–2005), agentile ofAfrican American descent.[21] The couple established The George and Joyce Wein Collection of African-American Art.[21]
Wein died at his home in Manhattan on September 13, 2021, at age 95.[2][22]
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