George Wein

George Wein's main importance to jazz has been his work at organizing and booking festivals including Newport (which he helped found in 1954) and his own Storyville club in the 1950s. However, Wein has long been a fine Earl Hines-inspired pianist (and an occasional vocalist), quite comfortable in swing and Dixieland-oriented settings. On an irregular basis since the 1950s he has toured and recorded with his Newport All-Stars, which has included cornetist Ruby Braff, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, and tenorman Bud Freeman; later Scott Hamilton on tenor and cornetist Warren Vache. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi