Born October 3, 1925, in Lynn, Massachusetts, George Wein was a jazz pianist,
producer and promoter. He is best known for being the founder and organizer of
the first annual Newport Jazz Festival, which was established in 1954 in
Newport, Rhode Island. Along with Pete Seeger and Theodore Bikel, he co-founded
the Newport Folk Festival in 1959 and helped found the New Orleans Jazz &
Heritage Festival in 1970. His musical career began after leaving the army and
then graduating from Boston University’s College of Liberal Arts in 1950. George
Wein opened a jazz club and started a labe...