Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival presents Scottish Blues Online

• Arusa Qureshi
• 20 April 2020

Nicole Smit

Annual event heads online to support musicians across Scotland

While the recent announcement of the cancellation of the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival was disappointing for many that enjoy the event annually, it was another blow for musicians, for whom the COVID-19 pandemic has already been hugely detrimental. With livelihoods threatened across the board as events and festivals are cancelled and postponed, there has been a collective effort to get creative to ensure that musicians are supported during this difficult period and that audiences remain connected.

To keep the spirit of the EJBF alive, the team behind the popular Edinburgh event have announced an online Scottish blues extravaganza that will take place from Wednesday 22 April through to Sunday 26 April. From established stars like Maggie Bell and Tim Elliott to new names like Jon McKenzie and Liz Jones, the Scottish Blues Weekend Online will provide audiences with over 12 hours of blues, as the team reprise the live shows that took place over the Blues Weekend on 7–10 February at St Bride's Centre.

As well as offering a packed schedule of concerts that will be broadcast on the EJBF Facebook page, the screenings will also highlight ways to support musicians either by donations to the individual artists or by purchasing their music or merchandise.

The Blues Weekend was curated by Edinburgh singer Nicole Smit and guitarists Jed Potts and Sandy Tweeddale, with the aim of showcasing the best of the Scottish blues scene. Nicole, Jed and Sandy said: 'The Scottish Blues Weekend shines the spotlight on Scottish Blues and offers a platform for new projects. It's great to be able to showcase such a diverse range of blues, as well as a host of bands led by women. We hope that you'll enjoy the weekend online concerts, and we especially hope that you'll see someone you might not have seen before.'