Newport Jazz Festival Marks 60th Anniversary with Performance at the Wharton Center Tonight

East Lansing, MI -- The NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL is turning 60! Founded in 1954 by George Wein, the jazz promoter and producer considered the "most famous jazz impresario," the NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL has become a staple of the jazz community since its inception in Newport, Rhode Island. 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of this legendary, premier annual jazz festival in America. In celebration, a worldwide tour is bringing their jazz stylings to the international public. Tickets to see NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL: NOW 60! are on sale now and are available online at whartoncenter.com, at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office at Wharton Center, or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.

Focusing on the contemporary significance and the globalization of jazz in today's world, the NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL: NOW 60! consists of a multi-generational ensemble of jazz's current stars. Anat Cohen, the Israeli clarinetist/saxophonist and recipient of seven consecutive Jazz Journalist Awards, leads the pack, bringing her combination of jazz, classical, Brazilian choro, and tango musical stylings to the established group. Dubbed by The New York Times as a revelation on the clarinet, capable of using both the upper and lower register to create infectious joy and deep intelligence, Cohen has become a staple of the jazz scene, receiving multiple citations in Down Beat magazine's annual critics' and readers' polls.

Joining Anat are her fellow colleagues of jazz: guitarist Mike Whitfield; pianist Peter Martin; Clarence Penn on drums; Larry Grenadier on bass; and Randy Brecker, the five-time Grammy Award recipient, joining the star-studded band on trumpet. Vocalist Karrin Allyson, who has been described by The Los Angeles Times as a "musician's musician," takes command of the front-line vocals; Allyson has performed within the jazz community for over 20 years and found success through four Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Allyson, along with Anat Cohen and their esteemed ensemble, bring along an exceptional jazz flair that celebrates the past of the NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL, as well as its future influence.