Are online jazz festivals worth it?
Getting into jazz but without the buzz of an audience..
This summer, some of the UK’s major jazz events have moved online, which has been a huge disappointment for many. “What is the point of listening to music if you cannot enjoy the ambiance that goes with it?” was a common objection. Of course, it is a real shame that many concerts can’t go ahead in the current circumstances. But, don’t throw in the musical towel just yet, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy music in novel ways.
Concerts are often about improvisation and interaction with the audience, especially in the case of jazz. So the question whether online jazz concerts are worth paying for is a legitimate one. According to Jeroen Warner, a jazz pianist from the Netherlands, the answer is yes.
“I follow BIMHUIS concerts online. The sound and screenwork is very good and maybe because I know the venue, I can imagine the intimate atmosphere”. Warner is very positive about the online offer from smaller concert halls, like the Amsterdam-based experimental collective. Ultimately the experience between attending the concert and listening to it in his own living room is not that large. If anything, the qualities of familiarity and a relaxing atmosphere are enhanced.
Online concerts can be a mixed bag though. Warner adds that he never enjoyed broadcasts of large-scale festivals and concerts. Perhaps this is because the festival experience cannot be replicated that simply. ”At festivals you can walk around between stages. You go there with friends who are immersed in the same experience as you are and that’s what you share”. Put in those terms, the gap between that specific experience and viewing it online is simply too big to bridge even though the sound quality of the music may be better online.
In spite of this, the move from live to online has a lot to offer, perhaps especially in the case of smaller and more intimate concerts. Listeners can dip into multiple sub-genres and discover new artists. The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues festival, for example, offers 42 concerts as well as additional free content.
Ahead of this summer’s events, here are four ways to get ready for it:
1. Free online content
Open Culture offers free online content including film, podcasts, audio books and online courses. Here you can find a wide variety of unique content ranging from audio sources to scans of letters written by jazz musicians. While jazz has been described as the United States’ only ‘native art form’ produced by African-Americans, Open Culture offers a peek into the reception of jazz across the globe. For example, the Soviet comedy ‘We are Jazzmen’ (1983) is set in 1920s Russia and follows a student who is expelled for refusing to give up jazz. The website also links through to the Hackney-based media-platform NTS radio, which brought Japanese Jazz week to a global audience.
2. Coffee table books
The visually minded will appreciate large coffee table books that bring home the rich history of jazz. Flicking through pages of black and white photography offers a trip to the various U.S. locations that were crucial in the development of jazz. Larger and more comprehensive books also offer insights into the different eras that the genre moved through and which influenced its development. From early to modern, Afro-Cuban, Gypsy and swing, each frozen image of a time gone by invites the reader to further discover the rich history of the people and places central to the music.
3. Live radio
The wonderful website Radio Garden takes you straight to South-east Louisiana where you can tune in to New Orleans’ free public radio broadcasting from the heart of where it all started. The platform also guides you to various dedicated stations across the world. From Jazz Radio Ireland to ČRo Jazz, a live-stream from boho Prague.
4. Netflix
Last but not least, Netflix has excellent documentaries on some of the most famous jazz legends. Miles Davis: birth of the cool revisits key moments in the artist’s life and highlights the racism and police violence experienced by jazz musicians, in spite of their fame. ‘What Happened Miss Simone?’ was produced by the musician’s daughter who had a difficult relationship with her eccentric and exceptionally talented mother.
Browsing through the resources above should give an impression of how diverse the jazz music genre really is. The genre has absorbed dozens of influences from across the globe since its inception in the 19th century and continues to travel into new and exciting directions. Anyone setting out to discover jazz will soon discover that it’s impossible to generalise about ‘jazz music’.
With affordable online concert tickets and dozens of styles to choose from, online performances are a great way to get into something new or to simply enjoy what one already knows. To first-time listeners seeking excitement, pianist Warner recommends funky jazz. “Artists like Marutyri and De Raad van Toezicht are very groovy yet technically accomplished”.
So invest in a good surround sound system, get some drinks on the go, invite some friends over, forget about all that isn’t possible this year and kick off summer in style.
