7th AUGUST 2020 LONDON, ENGLAND Renowned music and arts organization JAZZ RE:FRESHED will bring its annual festival JAZZ RE:FEST online this year, as part of a digital strategy to keep UK jazz thriving while venues are closed, and continuing to support musicians whose performance opportunities have dwindled as a result of the global pandemic. Usually hosted at Brighton Dome, the festival was recently canceled due to COVID-19 related venue closures and will now take place behind closed doors at The Mill studios in London. JAZZ RE:FRESHED has recently been shortlisted for Best Independent Label in this year’s AIM Awards and both Digital and Innovation awards at the 2020 Jazz FM Awards.
In association with MQA and Bluesound, JAZZ RE:FEST 2020 will feature performances from new and established artists including Binker Golding, Sahra Gure, Steam Down, Ms Maurice, Golden Mean, Jas Kayser and Anthony Joseph, bringing the festival’s signature atmosphere and excitement directly into viewers’ and listeners’ homes.
The performances will also be broadcast, at the same time, in MQA studio-quality audio at 192kHz resolution via Bluesound’s BluOS Controller app directly into the homes of Bluesound’s hi-res speaker owners. Owners of other BluOS Enabled devices from NAD Electronics, DALI Loudspeakers, and Monitor Audio, will also be able to enjoy the exclusive MQA audio stream through the BluOS Controller app.
Adam Moses, co-founder of Jazz re:freshed says: “Despite barriers, we are still on a mission to celebrate a genre and musicians whose performance opportunities are severely reduced right now, and to showcase the incredibly diverse, colourful, expressive and creative world of jazz music and alternative culture….It’s great to return with a mix of fresh talent and established acts, and with the support of MQA and Bluesound to deliver the performances remotely in studio-quality resolution.”
Mike Jbara, MQA CEO adds: “MQA is on a mission to help artists connect with fans by allowing them to hear the full musical performance, as if they were there. The performers showcased at Jazz re:freshed events are brimming with originality and energy, and their artistry is fully revealed in this way. We are proud to be a small part of the events imagined by Jazz re:freshed.”
As a not-for-profit organization, Jazz re:freshed will be encouraging donations on its YouTube channel from festival viewers.
The full Jazz Re:Fest festival will be streamed live from 5-9pm BST (12-4 PM EDT) on Sunday 23rd August via YouTube.com/jazzrefreshedtv and in MQA audio to Bluesound speaker owners and BluOS Enabled devices.