We are pleased to announce that there will once again be various events taking place in Newport each night after the Festival! In lieu of our annual Backstage Benefit BBQ, on Friday July 26th and Saturday July 27th, the Festival will present Dawes & Friends, a benefit concert for the Newport Festivals Foundation at The Jane Pickens Theater.

DEER TICK AT THE NEWPORT BLUES CAFE – July 26, 27 & 28

Just down the street at The Newport Blues Cafe, our good friends Deer Tick will once again be hosting their own three night run, Friday July 26th, Saturday July 27th, and Sunday July 28th; proceeds from this show will benefit both the Newport Festivals Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Tickets for all evening events will go on sale at the end of April. We’re also excited to announce additional evening events in the next few weeks. All event details and ticket prices will be announced via social media in the coming weeks.

Photos courtesy of StyleProof and Nina Westervelt

Many thanks to Ryan Mastro and SO PA Productions.

Gonna be at SXSW on March 12? Click here to RSVP.

We teamed up again with our friends from Ryan Mastro Photography and Sopa Productions to chronicle the sights and sounds that make our time at Fort Adams so memorable. This is the third in the 2012 series for Behind the Walls: Live from inside the Newport Folk Festival featuring “Careless Reckless Love” by New Multitudes.

Behind the Walls 2012, Episode #3 ~ New Multitudes.

We teamed up again with our friends from Ryan Mastro Photography and Sopa Productions to chronicle the sights and sounds that make our time at Fort Adams so memorable. This is the second in the 2012 series for Behind the Walls: Live from inside the Newport Folk Festival featuring “Emmylou” by First Aid Kit.

Behind the Walls 2012, Episode #2 ~ First Aid Kit from SöPa productions on Vimeo.

We teamed up again with our friends from Ryan Mastro Photography and Sopa Productions to chronicle the sights and sounds that make our time at Fort Adams so memorable. The first in the 2012 series for Behind the Walls: Live from inside the Newport Folk Festival features “Rolling Universe” by Jonathan Wilson.

Behind the Walls 2012, Episode #1 ~ Jonathan Wilson from SöPa productions on Vimeo.

We received a copy of this letter from Frank’s granddaughter via our Facebook page. Frank wrote this to his wife after attending the Newport Folk Festival in 1963.

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Tuesday, July 30, 1963

Dear Wifey –

In spite of all the mixed thoughts running through my mind (like mainly your coming here) I must let my thoughts settle and tell you about the folk festival. It really left an impression on me.

I guess the best way to do it is to let you see it through my eyes, so here it goes:

Saturday morning Tom Burton and I got into town about 9:00 in the morning. Now Newport R.I. is a small, lazy town that is really quaint in its antiquity. But overnight a change had taken place. The cobblestone streets were alive with people and vehicles. Anything that was capable of carrying people or possessions was arriving in that town.

And the people! Max, you could not believe the people that were jamming the parks, walking the streets, riding motorcycles, bicycles and cars, walking, running …..

They were every shape, size, race, religion, and creed. They were dirty and they were clean. They were young and they were old. They wore boots and shoes and sandals. They were barefoot. They had beards and goatees. They were clean shaven.

There were girls with hair so long they could sit on it, and guys with hair so long they could braid it. There were beatniks, farmers, college kids, families and businessmen.

They slept in the parks, on the beaches, in hotels and apartments, and cars – or they didn’t sleep. And every one of them had a guitar or banjo. The instruments were hung over shoulders, strapped on Vespa motor scooters, or stuck in cases bearing “Newport or Bust” slogans.

Music was incessant. What kind of music do you like? A walk through one of the small parks produced every kind of folk music imaginable.

How about that red-headed guy over there playing the autoharp and singing southern mountain songs? Or those two guys and that girl – sound a little like Peter, Paul and Mary, don’t they? Or that crowd of people all singing together. Or the 3 banjo pickers under that tree? Or… well, that could go on forever. Angel, I heard some of the finest amateur music here that you would ever want to hear. And the number of people playing and singing was literally uncountable.

And while we were sitting on a beach a little overwhelmed by the immensity of it all, who should come along humming prettily to herself but Joan Baez. And after she’d gone by we pinched ourselves to make sure we were still OK and walked on over to the grounds where the afternoon workshops and panels were being held, and we almost bumped into Sonny Terry and Bob Dylan who were coming down the street.

When we got to the first of the small platforms inside the park, I thought I heard a familiar voice. Sure enough, Bess Hawes, lecturing on ballads. After she finished I went over to talk to her to find out how she was, and she introduced me to Alan Lomax. While we were talking, a tall, beanpole of a guy broke into the conversation to say something to Lomax – sure enough, Pete Seeger.

Back out on the street among the crowd we spotted two guys with banjo cases who didn’t stand out any more than anyone else in that banjo-guitar carrying crowd. But upon closer inspection it turned out to be Mike Seeger and John Cohen of the New Lost City Ramblers. And coming out of one of the little shop were two women – one of them Bessie Jones.

Well, that settled it. I brought my camera out Sunday, and spent the day taking pictures around the town and in the park itself. I got them all. Seeger, Jack Elliot, Doc Watson, Bess Hawes, Alan Lomax, Sonny Terry, John Cohen, Clarence Ashley… they were all over the place.

By the way, I got about a half dozen slides of you-know-who (Joan Baez) tripping down the street in a tan blouse and shorts chucking little kids under the chin and drinking Kool-Aid from a little sidewalk stand. She sure loves kids. But she seems to be bothered by nosy photographers who walk up and take her picture from about 2 feet away. So after I received a dirty look for that shot, I went away to find other things to photograph.

Sunday night’s show was outstanding. Joan Baez was the outstandingest of all. She did some songs I’d never heard before, and “All My Trails”, “Mary Hamilton”, and an extremely humorous rock and roll song which she sang straight except for a slight nasal quality. It’s unexplainable. Maybe it’ll come out on the Folk Festival record.

The show was a real topping to a fantastically rewarding weekend. The whole thing was extremely well planned, executed, and controlled. It was a real thrill to see so many people on such a large scale just put aside social and economic barriers and accept each other as people. It was gratifying beyond words. Ask me about it when we’re together in a couple weeks. I’d like to talk more about it.

Love you,
Frank

NEWPORT, RI, August 16, 2012 – George Wein, Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., is pleased to announce the dates of the 2013 Folk and Jazz festivals in Newport, RI. The 2013 Newport Folk Festival® will be held July 27-28 and the Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management is set for August 2-4. Additional information will be announced in the coming months.

“Following this year’s Folk Festival that sold out three months in advance and one of the best Jazz Festivals ever, we want to make sure that music fans have the 2013 dates now. More than 40,000 people attended the two festivals, many from throughout the area and from around the world. Music lovers are already looking toward next year’s concerts and it is helpful to give them the opportunity to schedule travel and lodging plans as early as possible,” said Wein, who has produced the Jazz and Folk festivals since their inceptions in 1954 and 1959, respectively.

For more information on the Newport Festivals, visit www.newportfolkfest.net and www.newportjazzfest.net. To learn more about the Newport Festivals Foundation, log on to www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

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The Newport Folk Festival® is a production of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc™., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

Media Contacts:
Carolyn McClair / (917) 686-0854 / Info@CarolynMcClairPR.com
Drew Granchelli / (617) 416-6116 / granchelli@gmail.com (Digital & Social Media)

Many thanks to Ryan Mastro and SO PA Productions.

NEWPORT, RI, March 22 – In keeping with its mission to present programs to educate young people about folk music, George Wein and the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. today announced its first youth education initiative, which will support the expansion of the music program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.

The funding, primarily raised through the Backyard Barbecue at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival®, will enable the Boys & Girls Clubs to purchase new musical instruments and music recording tools/software; hire a professional music teacher to lead programs during its school-year afterschool programs; and introduce a new music program at its summer day camp, Camp Grosvenor. This collaboration will provide the Club the opportunity to continue its educational program with the Common Fence Music Production group, including offering a six-week African Drumming Workshop led by musician/percussionist LeRoy White. Additionally, the Club can offer new music programs for its Tot-Spot toddler/preschoolers, as well as expand its Digital Beats program for its Teen Center participants as a result of this support.

“The Newport Festivals Foundation was created to continue the legacies of the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, and what better way to do that than to support programs that will encourage the next generation of music fans,” said George Wein, Chairman of the Foundation and Founder/Producer of the two festivals. “When Producer Jay Sweet presented the idea for the Folk Festival to support this wonderful music program, it was a unanimous decision to move forward.”

Jay Sweet added, “To build upon the programs that help kids throughout the Newport area gain a better understanding and knowledge of music while also bringing joy to their lives is a fantastic and humbling feeling. We’re excited to begin our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, and we look forward to not only watching the kids grow, develop and share their experiences, but also being available to help in any way.”

“We are thrilled that the Newport Festivals Foundation has decided to support the music program at the Boys & Girls Clubs. We know that music education can help provide the tools that children need to build a successful life – patience, concentration, coordination, relaxation – are just some of the benefits derived from music,” stated Joanne Hoops, Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County. “Studies have shown that music education can help build intellectual and emotional skills that facilitate learning and strengthen academics. Music provides all of us an outlet to express feelings and relieve tension. Support from the Festivals Foundation will enable the Boys & Girls Club to expand its music programming, and offer opportunities in this area to children who might not have them. The Newport Folk Festival has such an esteemed history of bringing musicians of worldwide acclaim to Newport, and we are very proud to partner with them.”

Fore more that 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County has provided quality, well-rounded programming to youth ages 5-18. Children and teens are engaged in a variety of age- appropriate activities that strengthen self-esteem, social skills, health, and community involvement. The club strives to incorporate learning into everything that they do. Their mission is for all young people – especially those that need them most – to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

The Newport Festivals Foundation was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build up and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Newport Folk Festival presents performers who respect and honor folk music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today’s musical trends. Through the establishment of partnerships with local schools and colleges/universities, the Foundation will present programs to educate young people about folk music as presented at the annual festivals. For more information, please visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

This year’s Newport Folk Festival, set for July 28-29, features My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Guthrie Family Reunion, Dawes, The Head & The Heart, Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, City and Colour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Tom Morello, Trampled by Turtles and many others. For the complete line-up, log on to www.newportfolkfest.net.

Tickets for the Newport Folk Festival are on sale now at a href=”http://www.newportfolkfest.net” target=”_blank”>www.newportfolkfest.net and www.ticketmaster.com. For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call the festival hotline at (401) 848-5055.

On the eve of our 2012 line-up announcement, we are proud to introduce a new film/music series we are calling: BEHIND THE WALLS: Backstage Recordings from Newport Folk. We teamed up with our friends from Ryan Mastro Photography and Sopa Productions to chronicle the sights and sounds that make our time at Fort Adams so memorable. The first one features our pals from The Devil Makes Three. Let us know what you think. It made us crave for summer, hopefully it does the same for you.