George Wein, Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., is pleased to announce the dates of the 2012 Folk and Jazz festivals in Newport, RI. The Newport Folk Festival® will be held July 28 – 29 and the Newport Jazz Festival® is set for August 3 – 5. Additional information will be announced in the coming months.

"Following a sold-out 2011 Folk Festival and a very successful Jazz Festival, we want to make sure that music fans throughout the area and around the world have the 2012 dates on their calendars early," said Wein, who has produced the jazz and folk festivals since their inceptions in 1954 and 1959, respectively.

To further advance the dialogue with both established and budding musicians, the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™ announced the creation of its Newport Folk Festival Board of Advisors. The panel of musicians will help ensure that the Newport Folk Festival remains a significant, viable, and influential institution for years to come. The Board of Advisors includes: Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Gillian Welch, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem.

"The Newport Folk Festival’s Board of Advisors is comprised of very special performers and we’re pleased that they have agreed to join us as we return to our roots as a non-profit organization," said George Wein, Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation and festival co-founder along with Pete Seeger. "Each of these musicians personifies and enhances the spirit of the Newport Folk Festival, which honors past, present, and future icons of the ever-changing folk scene."

The five founding members have all previously appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, and, in a further testament to their importance to the advisory board and in true Folk Family fashion, each has a special connection that has bonded them to Newport.

"To attend the Newport Folk Festival is to be part of the unbroken chain of American music that connects Mother Maybelle Carter and Mississippi John Hurt, to Bob Dylan and Bill Monroe, and Emmylou Harris and Mavis Staples," said Gillian Welch. "The scene is vibrant and diverse, the faces of folk change; and yet for 52 years, the Newport Folk Festival has succeeded in keeping us connected to our own living tradition."

Jim James added, "Every time I find myself within her loving arms, ye old festival de Newport Folk sweeps me off to a special land of music and reverie where all things are possible," "Way back when, right now, and way off into the future her power is a mirror: all-encompassing and real, reflecting back to us a vividly truthful vision of our times. I am honored and humbled to be in her presence and at her service."

The Newport Folk Festival has seen many performers break into the musical and cultural consciousness of the world following an appearance at one of the Festival’s 51 previous installments. In exchange for the opportunity to play this mainstay of the music world, experienced and emerging artists often make some concessions to perform at Newport, and the Festival has always shown its gratitude by offering its performers a bit of magic that no other venue or festival can match, delivering credentials with historical significance and real value.

"The importance and influence of the Newport Folk Festival is undeniable," says Colin Meloy. "I’m proud to be involved with the Festival because I feel like it can have real and lasting relevance to a new generation of musicians."

To further cultivate the mission of the Newport Folk Festival, the Board of Advisors will not only interact with other artists in the music world, but will also serve as "talent scouts" and will be a collective sounding board for festival producers and organizers as future Newport Folk Festival lineups take shape in the years to come.

"Returning to our non-profit status, it’s imperative that we have artists who can help us shape the future of this Festival. The connection the Festival has with its artists and the music world is a characteristic that has enabled us to be successful and unique while presenting unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime, impromptu performances. Thanks to the support of these five advisors, we will remain relevant for another 50 years and beyond,"said Jay Sweet, Folk Festival talent programmer and producer.

The Newport Festivals Foundation continues to build on the festival’s historic past by featuring emerging young artists alongside some of folk music’s most venerable names. The 2011 Festival featured:The Decemberists, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Gillian Welch, Amos Lee, Earl Scruggs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, Wanda Jackson, Mavis Staples, Tegan & Sara, The Felice Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Justin Townes Earle, Delta Spirit, Middle Brother, The Wailin’ Jennys, Freelance Whales, The Secret Sisters, Trampled by Turtles, The Civil Wars, The Head & The Heart, Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three, The Cave Singers, What Cheer? Brigade, Mountain Man, David Wax Museum, Devil Makes Three, Song Circle with Dar Williams Ellis Paul John Gorka & Liz Queler, Typhoon, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Chris Thile & Michael Daves, The Seeger Clogging All-Stars, BrownBird, River City Extension and PS22 Chorus.

For more information on the Newport Festivals, visit www.newportfolkfest.net and www.newportjazzfest.net. To learn more about the Foundation, log on to www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

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