Page 28 - MIN TTC 15 MAART 2016
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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 15 March 2016
Newport Jazz Festival gets new leader, $10M promise
MICHELLE R. SMITH In this Feb. 12, 2012, file photo, Christian McBride, of the Christian McBride Big Band, poses back- Wein sold the festivals in
Associated Press stage with the award for best large jazz ensemble for “The Good Feeling” at the 54th annual 2007 and they almost went
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island Grammy Awards in Los Angeles; and in this Aug. 4, 2013 file photo, Newport Jazz Festival producer under. He reassumed con-
(AP) — Jazz impresario and founder George Wein appears on stage before at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, R.I. trol in 2009 and named
George Wein took another Jay Sweet to produce the
step to secure the future Associated Press folk festival, then estab-
of his 62-year-old Newport lished the foundation in
Jazz Festival on Thursday, humbled to be appointed McBride has served as artis- lutely brilliant,” he said. 2010. Sweet was promoted
as the nonprofit founda- to lead the “granddaddy tic director and adviser for The Newport Jazz Festival last year to executive pro-
tion that runs it named of all music festivals” and several other groups. was the first outdoor jazz ducer of the foundation.
Grammy-winning bassist excited to learn at Wein’s McBride said Newport is festival and is among the Also getting a promotion
Christian McBride as artistic elbow as an understudy. deeply rooted in jazz yet most respected, having Thursday is Danny Melnick,
director. Wein swore him to secrecy dedicated to musically di- hosted some of the most associate producer of the
Wein, who is 90, also told when they began discus- verse styles and artists, and famous acts and memo- jazz festival who will now
The Associated Press that sions in October and told that’s what makes the festi- rable performances in jazz. be producer and will run
he planned to donate the him he would never want val so special. He recalled Wein, a jazz pianist, came the business end of the jazz
bulk of his estate, around McBride to stop being a when Mos Def performed up with the idea after New- festival.
$10 million, to the founda- musician to sit behind a at the festival, backed by a port socialite Elaine Loril- Wein said McBride is well-
tion upon his death so that desk to run the festival. He New Orleans jazz band. lard asked him to bring jazz liked and relates both per-
the jazz festival and its sis- told McBride he chose him “You saw this cross-cultural to the seaside resort town sonally and musically to
ter Newport Folk Festival because of his credibility thing with hip-hop and New to liven things up. He later many different kinds of mu-
can continue for years to as a musician and curator. Orleans jazz. It was abso- founded the folk festival. sicians, from John Zorn to
come. Wein produced this traditional players.
year’s festival completely, And he’s now comfortable
but recognizes he’s old that the foundation will
and his hearing and health have the money and lead-
have started to diminish ership it needs to remain a
even as he remains men- viable, contemporary festi-
tally sharp. val after he’s gone.
“Not many people can en- “I never worry about lega-
gineer their own demise,” cy.
Wein said. “I’ve been work- People forget. I know so
ing on this a few months many musicians that I wor-
with Christian. Nobody shipped, nobody knows
knew about it. I wanted now. I know it will be the
to make sure Christian was same thing with me,” Wein
the right person.” said. “But the Newport fes-
McBride will work side-by- tivals will go on. Maybe
side with Wein and take somebody will remember I
the reins for the 2017 festi- created it.”q
val.
From then on, McBride will Q-Tip joins Kennedy Center
choose who plays at the
festival and have final say as hip hop director
on festival programming,
Wein said. BEN NUCKOLS mances that will be staged worked as a solo artist and an elder statesman of sorts
“He will be as creative Associated Press there during the 2016-2017 producer and has become for the genre.q
as he chooses to be. It’s WASHINGTON (AP) — Hip season.
an opportunity for him to hop is heading to the Ken- Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and so- In this July 11, 2011 file photo, Q-tip performs in New York. Hip
make his mark that will last nedy Center — this time, to prano Renee Fleming also hop is heading to the Kennedy Center, this time, to stay.
forever,” Wein said, adding stay. are taking on new roles at
that he may “stick my nose Fresh off last year’s critically the Kennedy Center. Both Associated Press
in” from time to time. acclaimed performance will serve as at-large artistic
McBride is a bassist, com- by Kendrick Lamar with advisers.
poser and educator. The the National Symphony Or- The center, which is a me-
Philadelphia native at- chestra, the Kennedy Cen- morial to President John F.
tended Juilliard and has ter for the Performing Arts Kennedy and the nation’s
performed on recordings announced Tuesday that busiest performing arts ven-
with musicians including veteran rapper and pro- ue, also will mark the 100th
Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, ducer Q-Tip will join the in- anniversary of Kennedy’s
Wynton Marsalis, Sting, The stitution as its artistic direc- birth with programming
Roots and Paul McCartney. tor for hip hop culture. Hip that honors his ideals and
He has won five Grammys. hop also will be added to legacy.
He also hosts and produc- the center’s core program- Q-Tip is a founding mem-
es radio shows on SiriusXM ming. ber of the seminal hip
and NPR. He has played The announcement was hop group A Tribe Called
regularly at Newport since made as the Kennedy Quest, known for its genre-
1991. Center released details of bending music and socially
McBride, speaking via the more than 2,000 perfor- conscious lyrics. He’s also
Skype following a perfor-
mance in Oslo, Norway,
on Thursday, said he was
