Joan
Baez and Pete Seeger, who played the first Newport festival in 1959
and remain vital figures in the Folk genre, are scheduled to perform
again this year. Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie also are on the bill,
along with more contemporary acts like the Decemberists and Iron
and Wine.
"The
whole concept of the Folk festival is a reunion of the old people
to celebrate 50 years of Folk music in Newport -- and to show how
many young people are involved with Folk music," said 83-year-old
George Wein, who founded both festivals a half-century ago.
He
stepped forward to produce them again this year as they lost the
backing of their longtime sponsor amid a flagging economy that's
made people think twice about traveling and spending money.
The
Jazz festival, meanwhile, will feature singers Tony Bennett and
Etta James, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and the Dave Brubeck
Quartet -- a fixture at Newport.
The
Folk festival, which this year is formally known as George Wein's
Folk Festival 50, is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2. And George Wein's
Jazz Festival 55 is scheduled for the following weekend. Both events
will take place at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island.
Wein hadn't
planned to produce the festivals again this year. He sold his production
company in 2007 to the New York-based Festival Network, though he
stayed on with the new owners. But Festival Network was found in default
of its contract with the state of Rhode Island earlier this year,
and suddenly the future of the festivals was hazy. Wein said he came
forward to "save" them.
