NYC Winter Jazzfest Postpones Live Events

  I  
Image

The festival will go virtual for most shows due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

(Photo: Courtesy NYC Winter Jazzfest)

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on live events in the jazz world. The latest victim is the 18th Annual NYC Jazzfest. The festival has postponed most of its live events scheduled for Jan. 13–22 due to the rise of the Omicron variant in the city. New performance dates have yet to be announced.

“After much internal deliberation, hearing from the musicians, our audience, friends in the medical community and our staff, we have decided that the most responsible decision for the general welfare is to postpone most in-person events for the 18th Annual NYC Winter Jazzfest to later dates,” festival organizers said in a press release on Dec. 27. “Even if we were to follow all current NYC and NYS guidelines with vaccination requirements and masking enforcement, we know many of you would be anxious to attend. Given the heightened transmissibility of this variant, we feel that this is the most prudent way to proceed. The safety of our patrons, staff and musicians is our main priority.”

One aspect of the festival that will go on virtually is This Is A Movement: Towards Liberation, a program formulated with The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, M³ (Mutual Mentorship for Musicians) and The New School–School of Jazz. The program is aimed at working toward a more equitable jazz community along gender lines. That live-streamed event (thisisamovment.com) will take place Jan. 15–17.

For more information, go to winterjazzfest.com. DB



  • DB2016_Wayne_Shorter_Earshot_Jazz_Daniel_Sheehan.jpg

    Shorter performing at the 2015 Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle.

  • DB23_Jeff_Beck_Ross_Halfin.jpg

    “In the pantheons of guitar players, Jeff was the chosen one,” said Steve Vai of the late Jeff Beck.

    Remembering Jeff Beck

    One of an iconic triumvirate of ’60s rock guitar gods, along with Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck set the…

  • img206_AFI_March_1%2C_1984%2C_Carol_Bayer_Sagar%2C_Burt_Bacharach%2C_Miles_Davis_photo_by_John_McDonough.jpg

    Burt Bacharach with Carol Bayer Sagar and Miles Davis in 1984.

  • Samara_Joy_Grammy_Win_Kevin_Winter_Getty_Images_copy.jpg

    ​Samara Joy gives her acceptance speech at the Grammys on Feb. 5.

  • Fred_Hersch_Esperanza_Spalding_Erika_Kapin_Photography.jpg

    The album Alive At The Village Vanguard (Palmetto), featuring Hersch on piano and spalding on vocals, was recorded in 2018.


On Sale Now
April 2023
Brad Mehldau
Look Inside
Subscribe
Print | Digital | iPad