Musicians hit a high note with online shows

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has hugely impacted all aspects of life. The performing arts market is no exception with concert halls and venues closed, shows canceled or postponed while musicians and audiences find themselves isolated from live music.

However, watching streaming concerts has become a new trend among music lovers in China.

On March 13, Blue Note Beijing launched an online program offering music lovers livestreaming shows of jazz performances for free, which was available on major video sharing website, Youku.

The first show was done by Italian singer-songwriter Chiara Civello, who livestreamed her performance from her studio in Brazil. The musician was supposed to perform for 30 minutes, but in reality it lasted for an hour, thanks to the warm response from the fans.

Another livestreaming show was from Grammy-nominated trumpeter, composer, and producer Christian Scott, also known as Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, who performed at Blue Note in New York on March 14. Despite the time difference, more than 50,000 people watched the livestreaming shows and the maximum number of concurrent viewers was about 2,000 people, which equals the number of an actual audience multiplied by five, as Blue Note in New York can accommodate 400 people.

However, only three shows were successfully livestreamed since Blue Note New York has suspended operations until April 5, 2020. More scheduled shows, including two by Grammy-winning drummer Will Calhoun and one from Grammy-winning guitarist Lee Ritenour have been canceled.

"As of this morning, New York City mandated that all restaurants and bars must close and that no gatherings above 50 people may take place. We of course are saddened by this news, but understand that for the health and safety of our patrons, that we must temporarily suspend operations at Blue Note New York until April 5, 2020," Blue Note New York's official website announced on March 15. "We firmly believe that music is a universal language which connects us all and we are proud to be the venue that has provided so many beautiful memories to our patrons who share a love of jazz."

"It's really sad to have those shows canceled. I've watched shows at Blue Note New York, which is a great place. But clearly, everyone's health is important," commented a fan.

"Though the shows cannot be staged, we've seen another possible way of enjoying jazz music simultaneously from different parts of the world," wrote another fan.

Founded in 2016, Blue Note Beijing, located in the scenic Qianmen area, near Tian'anmen Square, is the first branch of the famous jazz club brand in China and joins a global network of jazz clubs started in New York in 1981, which target the country's ever-growing middle class and jazz lovers. Last year, it launched Blue Note Shanghai as the jazz club chain's 10th club worldwide.

Many top jazz musicians have performed at Blue Note Beijing as part of their global tours, including legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea and Grammy-nominated saxophonist Ravi Coltrane.

"China has seen a growing fan base for jazz music over the past few years, which has become a lifestyle among young people. Because of the viral outbreak, over 30 shows were canceled in both Blue Note Beijing and Blue Note Shanghai, which inspired us to stage shows online. It is a first-time experience for Blue Note in its nearly 40-year-long history," says Li Si, deputy general manager of Blue Note Beijing. The teams of Blue Note in New York and in Beijing spent over 130 hours testing technologies involved in livestreaming to make sure of the visual and sound quality.

"What we are trying to do is to connect the audiences with music as much as possible during these special days. Whether it's watching the shows at the venue or online, it's about enjoying music," Li says, adding that more livestreaming shows will be planned once the viral outbreak ends.