Wynton Marsalis to be streamed live in HD from Ronnie Scotts club, Soho, London

Live Jazz from Ronnie Scotts

London's Soho is a bit of a contradiction when it comes to technology. There are more post production facilities in this square mile than in the rest of the country. Every broom cupboard houses at least three video editors. Only a decade ago, almost every Soho pedestrian carried a Digi Beta tape or even a can of film. Now, it's hard disks

But this hi-tech environment has never reached as far as the little corner of Soho, Frith Street, where Ronnie Scotts has been home for just about every top jazz musician on the planet since 1959.

To be honest, not much has changed since that opening year. Apparently it still looks pretty much the same as it did then. You don't go there for the latest in interior decorating trends.

Streaming

So it is perhaps just a little surprising that this famous jazz venue finds itself catapulted into the present day by announcing that it will be streaming a concert by the legendary Wynton Marsalis at 10:00PM BST (ie London time) on Tuesday 23rd July.

Using Panasonic Pan, Tilt and Zoom HD cameras and a handheld AG-HPX250 P2 cameras, the show will be streamed in HD. It will be produced and mixed by Ronnie Scott's own staff prior to being streamed worldwide.

The club's managing director, Simon Cooke explained the background to the event:

"We are keen to give those who can’t make the journey into London’s Soho, people too far away or simply those who can’t get a ticket the opportunity to enjoy the Ronnie Scott’s magic for themselves and we are delighted that an artist of Wynton’s stature, arguably the most influential jazz musician of the last forty years, has agreed to feature in our very first broadcast from the club.”

Panasonic's full press release is after the page break

TONIGHT AT 10PM RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ CLUB WILL EXTEND AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE OF SELL-OUT SHOW BEYOND FRITH STREET VENUE WALLS
PANASONIC EQUIPMENT WILL ENABLE ICONIC ARTIST WYNTON MARSALIS’ PERFORMANCE TO BE LIVE STREAMED IN HIGH DEFINITION

Ronnie Scott’s, is one of the oldest and most famous jazz clubs in the world having been opened by Ronnie Scott and Pete King in October 1959.  In the 53 years it has been attracting jazz enthusiasts in London it has featured a huge gamut of jazz legends from Ella Fitzgerald to Miles Davis.

Tonight from 10pm in a Ronnie Scott’s first, jazz legend Wynton Marsalis’ sell out show is to be broadcast live to a potential audience of millions around the world.  Thanks to the power of the internet and a ground breaking partnership with Panasonic, a world-wide audience will be given an unparalleled opportunity to experience the famed ambience of one of the world’s most iconic venues, swinging to one of jazz’s most iconic stars, all in stunning HD.

Tickets for Wynton Marsalis’ three night (six show) run from 22nd July sold out in a matter of hours, primarily to club members, so, with demand for tickets to see the legendary trumpeter, band leader and cultural champion far out-stripping demand, there is no better time to launch this exciting new venture.  Just as the BBC gave unprecedented coverage of Glastonbury, live streaming from Ronnie Scott’s gives a unique opportunity to those unable to secure tickets to enjoy the music and take a sneak peak inside one of the world’s most iconic venues.

With a capacity of just 220, and almost all shows a complete sell-out, Ronnie Scott’s has turned to technology to help take the unique Ronnie’s experience beyond the walls of the club. Simon Cooke, the club’s Managing Director, explained; ”We are keen to give those who can’t make the journey into London’s Soho, people too far away or simply those who can’t get a ticket the opportunity to enjoy the Ronnie Scott’s magic for themselves and we are delighted that an artist of Wynton’s stature, arguably the most influential jazz musician of the last forty years, has agreed to feature in our very first broadcast from the club.”

As expected from Ronnie Scott’s the technical set-up will be of high end, with a state-of-the art multi camera AV set-up alongside a broadcast and recording studio installed in the historic Frith Street venue. The broadcast will be shot using discreetly positioned Panasonic AW-HE120 integrated remote video cameras and at least one AG-HPX250 P2 HD handheld camcorder (the same used by the BBC for HD recording).  Meanwhile the club’s AV team will mix the audio/visual stream live, broadcasting in-the-moment vivid high definition images onto screens and into homes across the globe.  This remarkably sophisticated multi-camera set up – undoubtedly one of the best in the world for a club of this size - allows low-light filming of multiple positions giving viewers a genuine impression of being amidst the live audience and a real feeling for the intimate atmosphere of one of the world’s greatest jazz clubs - all without detracting from the experience of those lucky enough to have a ticket to the show.

Access to the broadcast is simple and free of charge, just visit ronniescotts.co.uk from 10pm tonight. For more information on how Panasonic broadcast equipment is being used to help Ronnie Scott’s augment its product and take the Ronnie Scott’s experience beyond its Frith Street venue, visit business.panasonic.co.uk