Jazz re:freshed is working with MQA to amplify the reach of its artists' live performances at the recent live stream of The British Music Embassy (BME) Sessions.  

The weekly schedule of HD video and MQA audio releases kicks off with Noya Rao's live set. Additionally, the BME Sessions will also be available as audio tracks on TIDAL. Naturally, you'll need a TIDAL HiFi subscription.

The March 18th live stream was organised to provide a means for some of the official showcasing artists to still connect with fans and the international music industry, who would otherwise have amassed at the now cancelled South by South West (SXSW) festival. Although performing in a less than ideal situation, without an audience and being behind closed doors, the musicians put on an extraordinary show.  

Noya Rao's frontwoman Olivia Bhattacharjee told StereoNET:

It's so great that we're not just playing in Austin but to the whole world!

Acts who were due to perform as part of Jazz re:freshed's Outernational line-up at SXSW this year included: Daniel Casimir & Tess Hirst, Noya Rao and Theon Cross. Each of these performed a 30-minute set at the Mill Studios in London recorded in HD video and 24 bit/96kHz audio.  

Jazz re:freshed Outernational is an Arts Council funded initiative in partnership with British Underground that springboards career opportunities for world-class UK jazz artists. Established names such as Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings are examples of artists who have participated and benefited incredibly from this level of support.

Mike Jbara, MQA CEO, remarked:

The artists delivered some extraordinary live performances, and it's a privilege to work with our partners to make these available in their original quality.  This was an unmissable opportunity to support some of the UK's most exciting young talent and push the boundaries of what's possible when you pair HD video with MQA audio.

Yvette Griffith, Jazz re:freshed Executive Director added:

Having the opportunity to showcase some of our Outernational bands for SXSW on a global live stream, despite the devastating cancellation of SXSW, was a fantastic outcome for us all.  It was just brilliant when MQA extended the offer to create a live stream and help us achieve our aims.  Being able to present high-quality videos with MQA's audio and continue the life of these phenomenal performances, potentially generating further opportunities for the bands, is a great result while the world is dealing with the ramifications of Covid-19 and how it is affecting our lives personally and professionally.

 
Enjoy Noya Rao's live BME Session (more acts to follow)

The MQA and British Music Embassy-organised live-streamed SXSW virtual showcase line-up
 
When listening with (compatible) MQA DACs, you can unlock the full experience and hear the original, even higher studio resolution. Here's where to find the browser guides for Windows and Mac OS.
 
The BME Sessions will soon become available as audio-only tracks on TIDAL. We'll add the link once it appears.