Detroit Jazz Festival Kicks Off With Livestream Preview Event On April 7th
DETROIT – The Detroit Jazz Festival will kick off with a live-streamed announcement of its 2021 Festival lineup on Wednesday, April 7. It will include the lineup for the Labor Day weekend event and feature live performances by Artist-in-Residence Dee Dee Bridgewater and Cuban pianist Omar Sosa.
The Detroit Jazz Festival, Livestream Preview Event, will be held without audiences recognizing current, city, state, and federal safety guidelines for public gatherings during the pandemic. All performances will be streamed live from two indoor stages in the Gretchen Valade Jazz Center's future home at Wayne State University. The Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation Jazz Guardians are presenting sponsors.
Jazz enthusiasts will view the event, and live performances on the Festival's website and YouTube or the proprietary Detroit Jazz Fest LIVE! The app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
"Last year, we preserved our 41-year legacy and produced a festival that was safe, life, and free to nearly a million jazz fans around the globe; truly an unprecedented moment in jazz history," said Chris Collins, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation president and artistic director. "We look forward to leveraging that experience to keep our 42-year legacy intact and continue our mission of delivering free jazz to audiences here and abroad."
Collins also says a decision on the Festival's format (in person or virtual) will be made in June/July. "We'll continue to monitor and adhere to the current local, state federal guidelines and make a decision(s) based on the best interest(s) of keeping our patrons safe," he said.
The 3-hour preview event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will also include a special student performance featuring Wayne State University jazz students participating in the Havana-Detroit Jazz Project's educational branch.
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