Newport Jazz Fest

The Newport Jazz Festival was founded by Jazz pianist George Wein in 1954 as the first outdoor music festival of its kind devoted entirely to Jazz, and is now universally acknowledged as the grandfather of all Jazz festivals. During the last half-century, the name Newport has become synonymous with the best in Jazz music. In its long illustrious history, the Newport Jazz Festival has presented a virtual pantheon of Jazz immortals alongside an array of rising young artists. From an event "fashioned out of orange crates and baling wire," as critic Whitney Balliett once colorfully recalled, the Newport Jazz Festival has evolved into an institution of immeasurable influence and international reach.

The JVC family of Jazz festivals, including the Newport Jazz Festival, represents the longest-running and most far-reaching series of sponsored music events in history. Over the past sixteen years, JVC has sponsored over 117 major Jazz festivals to live audiences of over three-and-a-half million people. The JVC International Jazz Festival Program started in 1984 and has continued around the globe without pause ever since. The festivals have presented over 40,000 individual musicians.

The 2005 artist line-up is: Roy Haynes, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Marcus Strickland, Martin Bejerano, John Sullivan, Dave Brubeck, Randy Jones, Bobby Militello, Michael Moore, Michael Brecker, Mike Mainieri, Mike Stern, Steve Smith, Richard Bona, Christian McBride, Jeff Ballard, Dave Holland Big Band, Robin Eubanks, Josh Roseman, Jon Arons, Taylor Haskins, Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin, Duane Eubanks, Chris Potter, Antonio Hart, Mark Gross, Gary Smulyan, Steve Nelson, Nate Smith, Joshua Redman, Don Byron, Jason Moran, Billy Hart, Gary Burton, Julian Lage, Vadim Nesolovskyi, Luques Curtis, James Williams, Joe Lovano, Hank Jones, George Mraz, Lewis Nash, Louis Hayes, Vincent Herring, Jeremy Pelt, Vincente Archer, Rick Germanson, Terell Stafford, Gary Versace, Martin Wind, Bill Frisell, Joey Baron, Sam Yahel, Larry Coryell, Russell Malone, Benny Green, Julian Lage, Taylor Eigsti, Eartha Kitt, Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Ravi Coltrane, Terell Stafford, Stanley Clarke, Bela Fleck, Jean-Luc Ponty, Charles Lloyd, Geri Allen, Rueben Rogers, Eric Harland, Patricia Barber, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Jon Faddis, David Hazeltine, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Dion Parson, Slide Hampton, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, Phil Markowitz, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Shepherd, Billy Drummond, T.S. Monk, Winston Byrd, Dave Jackson, Bob Porcelli, Helen Sung, Willie Williams, Rachael Price, Howard Alden, Warren Vache, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Whitfield, Donald Edwards, Reuben Rogers and many more.

The 2005 Newport Jazz Festival will be held August 11 through 14.