Want to thank everyone for their participation and support of the 4th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. While I still wished we were outside as usual, we continued our commitment to the live music community and launched a new approach that address our new social distancing world. It was great to still see folks volunteer their time, energy, dynamic and amazing musical talents in making this first time move to a virtual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree a success.

The major difference this year was we literally broadcast the entire 24 Hour event. While it may have looked like a typical go live from the channel you were on, we actually did broadcast on 5 virtual venues simultaneously at the same time. Listeners had a choice of watching and listening on Facebook pages and or profile, Youtube Channel, On Twitch, on Periscope.TV and on the website at 24hoursofmusicjamboree.com. In addition parts of the broadcast were then captured and re-broadcast on Instagram.

We opened at 11:30 AM with a tribute to our recently departed long term South Orange resident and live music advocate Lee Boz May, may she RIP. As we usually have our South Orange Gazebo dressed up physically in balloons, this year we adapted and developed a virtual balloon backdrop. We then listened to the song Candy converted to I need my 24 Hours of Music by vocalist Jacqueline Harmon Johnson, aka the balloon lady.

We then were officially kicked off by the Rutgers University Clements Place Institute of Jazz Studies, Executive Director, Wayne Winborne. His message in addition to enjoying the wide range of music was that “while science and medicine will get us out of this pandemic”, …“its’ art, especially music that will get us through it”.

We then move to a message from the Jazz Exchange Relief Fund Founders Candice Reyes and Abel Mireles, who are supporting local North Jersey and NYC full-time and part-time jazz artists with The Jazz Exchange Relief Fund! Especially important because artists were immediately affected by this pandemic, as all of their performances, tours, teaching gigs, lessons and more were cancelled overnight. The Jazz Exchange came on to help us raise funds to provide emergency and preventative resources to those at financial risk.

We kicked off the Virtual 4th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree at Noon Sat May 30 with the Pop, R&B, Soul sessions headlined by South Orange Based Alicia Taiping and Dan Piericni of the popular local band Forget the Whale. We were then treated to some wonderful performances by Dunia Best Live, Howlin Poets, Positive Note, Rhonda Denet,Flip da Skrip, our official spokesperson, Lynette Sheard, Acute Inflections, Tasha R. Williams w budding new star Aaliyah Arroyo, Sounds of A and R and local favorite, Ricky Persaud Jr.

Our Latin sessions contained some sweet music produced by Carlos Frias and Circulo Social Band and a few wonderful Yardbird entertainment produced sessions by the Rudy Vidal Latin Jazz Quartet.

The evening and overnight Jazz Sessions were kicked off live by the wonderful and engaging Mike Lee Jazz Family which is a very talented band social distancing together. Overnight performers included Kristina Koller, Abel & Candice, Reyes, Arcoiris Sandoval Live, DC Fusion Darry Clark, Peter Lin, Mamiko Watanabe, Richard Reiter, Sue Maskaleris, Winard Harper – Jeli Posse, Kemp and Reyvolation from Buffalo NY, James Austin Jr and Friends, Mauricio de Sousa, Joel Cotton w Matt Niedbalski, Jarrett Walser and Campblicated, Marshall McDonald from Fukuoka Japan, Seyeon Chang from South Korea, Kumiko Tanaka Tokyo, our normally 3 AM to 6 AM crew Alex De Lazzari Duo w Caelan Cardello, Flip Peters and Friends, Candice Reyes and then ended the night with our favorite morning performers Patricia Walton and Friends and Barbara Hassenfeld.

It was a stellar lineup of some truly wonderful musicians who all volunteered their time and efforts to this 4th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. Our regular volunteers Jon McGriff, Teresa ware, Donna Siedman, Chelsea Burrus Greg2B, and Roxanne Burrus, all supported us for 24 hours while we missed out steadfast volunteer Lee Boz May. We also give thanks to our official photographer Albert Clarke who captured some beautiful shots for us and our other giveaway supporter Designed by Aron.

Needless to say we had some interesting challenges broadcasting nonstop for 24 hours especially when Facebook says you can only do 8 hours at a time and it stops, and we have to start again while other networks did not have this problem bur other situations had to be dealt with of course.. Overall initial numbers are over 604 YouTube views, 100+ Facebook views, unknown yet Instagram, Twitch views and over 100 Periscope views which interestingly are mostly from Australia and Great Britain. Comments from many local and other worldwide attendees were that “ the music was a much needed respite from the challenges plaguing our society today.”

Again I thank you all that participated. We will showcase your work in the future.