{"id":170,"date":"2009-03-17T16:33:42","date_gmt":"2009-03-17T20:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/2009\/03\/weins_jazz_fest_without_jvc_co\/"},"modified":"2011-04-28T16:34:06","modified_gmt":"2011-04-28T20:34:06","slug":"weins_jazz_fest_without_jvc_co","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2009\/03\/weins_jazz_fest_without_jvc_co.html","title":{"rendered":"Wein’s jazz fest without JVC Corp"},"content":{"rendered":"
Calling all jazz sponsors: that’s the message producer George Wein<\/a> released today (March 17) in search of corporate support for his proposed 55th anniversary Newport Jazz Festival<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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So doing, Wein also announced the end of a 24-year association with JVC Corp., the electronics manufacturer that has been title sponsor of fests<\/a> formerly staged by Wein’s company Festival Productions in New York, Chicago, LA, Concord CA, Miami and Paris.\u00c2\u00a0If JVC has pulled out of sponsoring jazz fests — and not just disassociating with Wein — the effect will be widespread.\u00c2\u00a0No details on any of these events happening in 2009 have yet surfaced, although Holland’s North Sea Jazz Festival 2009<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0website still bears a JVC sponsor logo.<\/div>\n

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As I wrote\u00c2\u00a0here<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0on March 3, Wein’s decision to put on jazz and folk festivals in Newport RI next August came in the wake of Festival Network, the firm which emerged from Shoreline Media’s buyout of Festival Productions in 2007, abandoning the city that gave birth to the summer music festival in 1954. Festival Network has been reported as being in\u00c2\u00a0financial distress<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0and is currently represented on the web with a rather static home page that promises “new site coming soon!” while boasting of ties to 21 festivals. Among these are past JVC-titled jazz fests, but also the Festivals of Champions\u00c2\u00a0Vancouver 2010<\/a>,\u00c2\u00a0London 2012<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c2\u00a0Sochi 2014<\/a>. Website representing those upcoming Olympic and Paralympic winter games make no mention of The Festival Network.\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
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But back to the Newport Jazz Festival, and George Wein’s search for new underwriters. The fest slated for August 7 to 9 at Fort Adams State Park on Newport Bay will, according to the press release, “bring instantaneous world-wide recognition to the company that sponsors this renowned music event.”\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
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Wein is quoted: “Jazz is synonymous with quality and innovation and any organization that gets involved with the jazz festival in Newport will immediately benefit from the more than five decades of this newsworthy celebration of America’s music. The sponsorship fee is attractive and we look forward to forging new relationships as we continue to bring great music to Newport and beyond.”\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
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Beyond? Is it too late for a New York City Jazz Festival this summer? Is the\u00c2\u00a0Vision Festival 14 <\/a>\u00c2\u00a0of intense, experimental and beyond-jazz-improvisers still on for June 9 – 15 at the Henry St. Settlement and Angel Orensanz Foundation? Is the Litchfield CT Jazz Festival, July 31-Aug. 2, with mostly Connecticut sponsors and a lineup not yet announced, secure? The 32nd Annual Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 27-28, being produced by a former Wein-associate has put its tickets – for shows headlined by Patti Labelle, George Benson and Dave Brubeck, among others\u00c2\u00a0on sale today<\/a>. If no suitable sponsors emerge, will Wein make the Newport Jazz Festival happen anyway?<\/div>\n
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howardmandel.com<\/a><\/div>\n

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