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Arts organizations across the world have been met with substantial challenges on how best to sustain their roles as changemakers and to be catalysts of innovation for artists who have been devastated by the COVID-19 global pandemic. For 30 years, the heartbeat of nonprofit San Jose Jazz‘s platform to champion musicians has been its Summer and Winter Fests. San Jose Jazz expeditiously pivoted from their festival format to meet the new realities of the live concert industry with strategic programming to immediately support artists through individual grants and by offering a fundamental medium to feature their latest works. The nonprofit’s latest venture debuts in April 2021 with their most forward-thinking program yet: a state-of-the-art pop-up video recording and performance venue The SJZ Break Room and the SJZ New Works Fest 2021. In celebration of International Jazz Day (April 30), the SJZ New Works Fest 2021 runs from April 29 – May 8, 2021. Please view the SJZ New Works Fest 2021 video reel at this LINK.
Housed inside San Jose Jazz’s downtown office with a multi-media digital video wall featuring the latest in HD technology, The Break Room hosts leading-edge jazz artists on stage (indoors) while live performances are projection-mapped with Ultra-Short Throw Projectors onto high-end projection fabric mounted on motorized rollers. Sound from outdoor speakers and projections fill a 35 x 14 feet bank of floor to ceiling windows, providing a socially-distanced outdoor experience of the concerts on San Carlos Street. The SJZ New Works Fest 2021 is a ticketed livestreaming concert (tickets ranging $10 – $20) available online at sanjosejazz.org. Outdoor viewing is for the general public; no tickets will be sold for viewing the shows from San Carlos Street.
The SJZ New Works Fest 2021 is The Break Room’s inaugural production featuring SJZ commissioned compositions from 11 SF Bay Area artists (out of a total of 33 grantees) who were recently awarded $1,000 grants through the nonprofit’s SJZ Jazz Aid Fund. The artist lineup includes GRAMMY Award-winner Oran Etkin as the headliner (International Jazz Day: April 30 – Free Livestream – 7:30pm), as well as Bay Area musicians Kev Choice, Javier Santiago, Tammy Hall, Ten Spencer, Vân-Ánh Võ, Chris Cain, Claudia Villela, Justin Ouellet, Howard Wiley, Robbie Benson, and Ian Santillano. Bio information for all artists is listed below and available at sanjosejazz.org.
The Break Room Project Manager Scott Fulton spearheaded the build-out of the space to serve as a professional live music venue with world class recording and video capabilities. The Break Room presents high-def livestreaming concerts fronting a 3-D, animated backdrop, all presented via ultra-short throw projections with two simultaneous automated feeds on the video wall. Audience members can stand within 2.5 feet from the window without disturbing the video feed for a fully immersive viewing experience. During the day when SJZ staff are hard at work, the screens are rolled up. In a matter of a couple of hours on days of performances, The Break Room is ready for showtime.
Following the SJZ New Works Fest 2021, San Jose Jazz plans to program intimate performances at The Break Room once social distancing protocols allow for small indoor concerts, as well as future live streams. Free shows from previous Summer & Winter Fests will be projected on the video wall throughout 2021 for people walking by to enjoy in an effort to enliven downtown San Jose street life. The wall also serves as a “bulletin board” where organizations can promote upcoming programs and community news.
The Break Room is one of several initiatives San Jose Jazz has instituted to help Bay Area artists and local youth throughout the pandemic. SJZ programs also include the Live at Home concert series (100% of donations go directly to the artists); Backstage(racism and mentorship workshops led by musicians); Progressions (online video lessons and Google Classroom sessions for elementary school students in San Jose’s Franklin-McKinley School District); SJZ Live Music Series at the Coronavirus vaccination site at the School of the Arts & Culture (Mexican Heritage Plaza); and the SHIP Kits initiative in tandem with the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation that helped provide educational and entertainment materials for families struggling during lockdown that were delivered by the SJZ Boombox Truck. The SJZ Jazz Aid Fund was established by the SJZ Board of Directors and garnered a substantial gift from longtime SJZ Board member Jan De Carli. The Break Room is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
SJZ Executive Director Brendan Rawson comments, “Similar to so many other arts institutions, we were shocked by the disastrous effects of the pandemic. But it’s during tough times like these we must stay strong and connected as a community and develop creative solutions in response to real-world issues. San Jose Jazz has always worked to vitalize downtown San Jose with music and to provide avenues for artists to create and be heard. Over the past 12 months, our programs have underscored just how essential the arts are for people. It’s part of their lifeline to live fully. We need to be a part of that.”
SJZ Board President Julie Ramirez adds, “Music brings comfort and joy, and a strong sense of community. Our Board-driven effort to individually grant $1,000 to 33 artists, and an additional performance fee for 11 artists to appear at the SJZ New Works Fest 2021, is only one way to sustain careers in the arts that have suffered so substantially. We continue to need help through individual donations until these artists are truly back on their feet, regularly performing.”
“We’ve been inspired by the resilience and adaptability of arts organizations like San Jose Jazz that, throughout the pandemic, have leveraged technology to create content and experiences that meet people where they are,” says Jayne Butler, Arts Officer for the Knight Foundation. “In a time when we need it most, The Break Room will allow jazz fans to connect with their community and safely indulge in performances by talented local and regional musicians.”
Scott Fulton notes, “My team and I strategized on how best to create the vibe of a real jazz club, and I believe we succeeded beyond all of our expectations. Without the right feel of a room, it doesn’t matter how much expensive equipment and lighting you bring into a space, it’s not going to have that magic touch. We can’t wait for music fans to see the pure energy emanating from the video wall, and hopefully soon, to also be in the space along with us. In the meantime, the virtual festival is going to bring dynamic performances right into people’s homes. Since The Break Room serves as a pop-up venue, we can regularly and easily host artists at the office.”
SJZ New Works Fest 2021
An extension of the SJZ Jazz Aid Fund, San Jose Jazz’s forthcoming performance series the SJZ New Works Fest 2021 uplifts SF Bay Area musicians by stimulating commissioned pieces from 11 artists who will be spotlighted at the 4-night event spread across 10 days (April 29 – May 8, 2021). The lineup for the SJZ New Works Fest 2021 represents the diverse fabric of genres and demographics that make up the vibrant Bay Area music scene.
The SJZ Jazz Aid Fun awarded 33 musicians who were selected by key members of the SF Bay Area jazz community, including Monterey Jazz artistic director Tim Jackson; Public Radio International Latin Music Correspondent (and SJZ Latin Music Coordinator) Betto Arcos; music critic Andrew Gilbert; SFJAZZ Director of Artistic Programming Lilly Schwartz; KCSM Radio 91Music Director Alisa Clancy; and other administrators, artists, and curators. The 11 artists at the SJZ New Works Fest 2021 will be introduced by the Bay Area’s own Greg Bridges (radio DJ at KCSM), and Bridges will interview one artist each night of the Fest. Arcos will host additional artist interview segments during the week of May 3rd.
“The wide range of our ‘recommenders’ in the community allowed us to connect with new artists from the SF Bay Area and broaden our scope,” comments SJZ Artistic and Festival Director Bruce Labadie. “We’re very excited to have such a great cross-section of talent for the Fest. San Jose Jazz has worked tirelessly to present these artists through a very contemporary medium with the HD video wall, which will be integrated into the virtual broadcast alongside the performances. Whether people witness the concerts safely outside of our office or on their computer, I believe the Fest offers a groundbreaking platform for artists moving forward.”
Headliner Oran Etkin will collaborate with SF Bay Area artists and select SJZ Jazz Aid Fund grantees for his free livestreamed concert on International Jazz Day (April 30). The Fest further includes electrifying 25-minute performances by Kev Choice, Javier Santiago, Tammy Hall, Ten Spencer, Vân-Ánh Võ, Chris Cain, Claudia Villela, Justin Ouellet, Howard Wiley, Robbie Benson, and Ian Santillano. Each performing artist has been awarded an additional grant to appear at the SJZ New Works Fest 2021. Bio information for all artists is listed below and available at sanjosejazz.org.
The SJZ New Works Fest 2021 runs on Thursday, April 29 with three individual artist performances (Ian Santillano, Tammy Hall, Claudia Villela); Friday, April 30 with the Oran Etkin Project (free); Thursday, May 6 with four performances (Robbie Benson, Justin Ouellet, Ten Spencer, Chris Cain); and Saturday, May 8 with four performances (Howard Wiley, Vân-Ánh Võ, Javier Santiago, Kev Choice). On April 27 – 28, San Jose Jazz will present two online educational programs hosted by Oran Etkin. All shows start at 7:30pm PST. Tickets to one evening of programming are $10; a Fest Pass is $20 for access to all performances; and access to the April 30 show is free with tickets available at sanjosejazz.org.
