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At the
Friday
night
opener
of the
2017
Detroit
Jazz
Festival,
iconic
pianist
Herbie
Hancock
left
music
lovers
begging
for more
and
more. He
remains
where he
has
always
been: at
the
forefront
of world
culture,
technology,
business
and
music.
Hancock
returns
to the
festival
this
weekend,
stay
tuned.”
The Jazz
Festival
runs
Friday,
Sept. 1
through
Monday,
Sept. 4
and it
is free.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit) |
| |
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
presented
by
Rocket
Mortgage
pivots
to
virtual
event
DETROIT
– The
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
presented
by
Rocket
Mortgage,
the
world’s
largest
(and
best)
free
jazz
festival
in the
world,
today
announced
a pivot
to a
virtual
format
that
will be
streamed
and
broadcast
“live”
for free
this
Labor
Day
weekend.
The
Festival
begins
on
Friday,
Sept. 3
and runs
through
Monday,
Sept. 6.
The
Festival
was
originally
scheduled
to be
in-person
this
year,
but
organizers
decided
to
switch
to the
virtual
format
based on
mitigating
factors:
Hart
Plaza is
currently
being
improved
and
construction
won’t be
complete
until
Fall.
While
plans
were
being
devised
to bring
people
into the
plaza,
the
enormity
of the
jazz
festival
made it
difficult
to
continue
to host
the
thousands
that
attend
the
festival
annually.
The
Festival
would
then
have to
be held
completely
in the
Campus
Martius
area,
which
would
cause
overcrowding
and
overflow
of
patrons
in a
smaller
area.
That
situation
was not
an
option
for jazz
festival
management
due to
conflicts
with
carefully
designed
health
and
safety
protocols.
Due to
its open
footprint,
the jazz
festival
does not
have the
ability
to
require
COVID-19
testing
results
and/or
request
proof of
vaccination
which is
becoming
the gold
standard
for
large
concert
events.
Concern
among
some
artists
was also
a
deciding
factor.
“This is
a
winning
solution
that
preserves
the
legacy
of the
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
while
bringing
amazing
performances
into a
virtual
format,”
says
Chris
Collins,
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
Foundation
president
and
artistic
director.
“We’re
thankful
for our
sponsors,
donors
and
patrons
for
their
support
which
enables
us to
once
again
provide
a jazz
festival
that is
safe,
live and
free for
everyone.
Also, a
special
thank
you to
the city
of
Detroit
for the
great
improvements
happening
at Hart
Plaza
which
will
make the
2022
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
even
better
along
with
many
other
events
held at
this
venue.”
The
Festival,
which
will be
held
without
audiences,
will be
streamed
or
broadcasted
live and
free (no
replays
or
on-demand)
from
indoor
sound
stages
at the
Detroit
Marriott
at the
Renaissance
Center
and
closed
to the
public.
More
details
will be
announced
at a
later
date.
Jazz
enthusiasts
will be
able to
view or
listen
to
performances
for free
in a
number
of ways
including:
The
Festival’s
social
media
channels
and web
page; on
public
radio
and
television
stations;
and on
the
DetroitJazzFest
LIVE!
app.
This
year’s
Artist-in-Residence
Dee Dee
Bridgewater
will
headline
multiple
performances
during
the
festival
including
an
opening
set with
protégé
group,
the
Woodshed
Network
Ladies,
and a
closing
night
performance
with her
all-female
big
band.
Other
highlights
include
performances
from
Herbie
Hancock,
Gregory
Porter,
Keyon
Harrold,
Omar
Sosa and
the
Havana-Detroit
Jazz
Project;
Kurt
Elling’s
The Big
Blind
featuring
Dee Dee
Bridgewater:
A Jazz
Radio
Play
written
by Kurt
Elling
and Phil
Galdston;
The
Summit:
Take 6
Meets
the
Manhattan
Transfer,
Monty
Alexander
HKX, and
our
world-class
Detroit
hometown
artists.
“We are
excited
about
the work
we do to
seek out
new
talent,
promote
excellence,
produce
everything
jazz and
celebrate
all of
it at
the
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
on Labor
Day
weekend
in an
environment
that is
safe for
everyone,”
said
Gretchen
Valade,
chair,
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
Foundation
Executive
Board.
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