George Wein & Christian McBride Announce First Wave of Artists for 2017 Newport Jazz Festival

NEWPORT, R.I. - Jan. 18, 2017 - PRLog -- Producer/Founder George Wein and Artistic Director Christian McBride have announced the first wave of artists for the 2017 Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, which takes place at Fort Adams State Park and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino August 4 – 6.

The partial lineup features some of the best in traditional and modern jazz, including The Original Béla Fleck & The Flecktones; Cécile McLorin Salvant; Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith; and One for All: Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis, Eric Alexander, David Hazeltine, John Webber & Joe Farnsworth on Friday, August 4; Snarky Puppy, Vijay Iyer Sextet, Dominick Farinacci and Antonio Sanchez & Migration on Saturday, August 5; Andra Day; Hudson: Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, John Medeski & Larry Grenadier and Sean Jones Quintet with Brian Hogans, Orrin Evans, Luques Curtis & Obed Calvaire on Sunday, August 6.

"This first wave of artists is just a taste of what you will find at Newport this year," said George Wein. "The entire lineup reflects Christian McBride's contributions in his first year as Artistic Director of the Festival, and we're excited to present some old friends along with some new faces this year."

No stranger to Newport as a performer, McBride commented on two of the newly-announced artists, "One of the new faces at Newport, but a bright and shining star around the world, is Andra Day, who will be making her debut with us on Sunday. We worked together last year at the White House, and I've been a fan of hers for quite a while. Her talent is immense and I believe she will have a long, successful and fruitful career. I hope she'll be among the many artists who make a mark on the Newport audience and return again and again.

"Jack DeJohnette is one of the greatest titans walking the earth. I have played with him in Newport over the years, memorably with one of his own groups and with Bruce Hornsby. Being around him is always a learning experience, and I'm looking forward to soaking in what this staple of the jazz community will share with us this year when he appears with the group Hudson, also featuring John Scofield, John Medeski and Larry Grenadier."

Showcasing more than 50 individual jazz ensembles, Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management will again present music on four stages, including Storyville, the intimate venue located in the former Museum of Yachting.

Newport Jazz Festival's official travel partner, WBGO Jazz 88.3FM is offering an exclusive Weekend Package for festival fans. For music lovers who want to visit the Newport Jazz Festival for one day, WBGO Travel is offering Day Trips on luxury buses which will depart from Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey and Boston. Information for specific bus locations will be confirmed soon. For tickets and more information, sign up for WBGO's Newport List at http://wbgo.us5.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=6cae0d6976d3c543a63f5048e&id=cfa544c324.

In addition to the presenting sponsor, Natixis Global Asset Management, the Newport Jazz Festival also receives generous support from Alex and Ani, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, North Coast Brewing Company and Eventbrite.

TICKET INFORMATION

All NJF single-day and multi-day tickets for concerts at Fort Adams went on sale today at 10:00 am (EST) at www.newportjazzfest.org.  Service charges apply to all tickets purchased on-line or by phone. Ticket prices range from $20.00 for a limited number of student tickets to $125.00 for reserved seating and $375.00 for THE Jazz Club, a premium experience offered on Saturday and Sunday.

For information regarding pre-sales and special offers subscribe to the newsletter on the Festival web site or follow the Festival on social media.

General Admission tickets for all Fort Adams events also can be purchased in person at the Newport Visitors Information Center, located at 23 Americas Cup Avenue. Log on to www.discovernewport.org for office hours and information. Local discounts offered. No service charges apply.

Tickets for the Friday, August 4, 8:00 pm concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino go on sale Wednesday, February 1, at 10:00 am EST.

For more information, visit www.newportjazzfest.org, www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org or e-mail the Festival team at jazztickets@newportfestivals.org. Stay tuned for additional waves of artist announcements in the coming weeks.

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The Newport Jazz Festival®, Newport Folk Festival™ and Bridgefest® are productions of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, duly licensed. All rights reserved.