Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Whitehouse for his eloquent remarks about the jazz festival, which is a great Rhode Island institution. Indeed, it is a great American invention. The Newport Jazz Festival owes its beginnings to the vision and financial backing of Elaine and Louis Lorillard, who in 1954 wanted to do something with jazz in their community in Newport. Through their collaboration with George Wein, a jazz pianist and club owner with a vision, the jazz festival was born. Today the festival has grown to be one of the largest and most well-known jazz festivals in the Nation-- indeed, I would say the world--attracting a whole new generation of artists and music fans. It also helped pave the way for the creation of the Newport Folk Festival--another pillar of the music festival community. George Wein, in producing the Newport Jazz Festival, did not set out to change the world; he set out to make great music. But, as history has shown, great music and great art can change the world. What George Wein did over many summers was produce something more than extraordinary festivals; he produced the soundtrack of freedom for a generation of Americans. Since its founding, the Newport Jazz Festival has seen an eclectic range of performers--emerging and established--many at the peak of their art--all embellishing their credentials through their performances. From Duke Ellington, to Frank Sinatra, to Led Zeppelin, the Newport Jazz Festival has seen them all.…”