Qwest TV is the world’s first subscription video-on-demand platform dedicated to jazz and its neighboring genres. Founded by legendary producer and impresario Quincy Jones and French television producer Reza Ackbaraly, the website serves as an online library of jazz concert videos and feature documentaries that are, by and large, unavailable anywhere else on the web. In that capacity, it has been called the “Netflix of jazz.”
Like Netflix, Qwest TV offers plenty of binge-worthy material, including live concert recordings from festivals as prestigious as the Montreux Jazz Festival and Jazz à Vienne, masterclasses by today’s leading musicians and rare historical footage. In this “What to Watch” feature, we share our top recommendations for what Qwest TV has to offer each week. Some videos may require a Qwest TV subscription, and fortunately, memberships start for as low as $9.99 per month. Click here to start your subscription today.
Lalah Hathaway – Live at Sing Jazz Festival 2018
In this beautifully filmed concert video, Grammy-winning vocalist Lalah Hathaway, daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway, performs a moving set of originals from her 2017 album Honestly in front of a capacity crowd at Singapore’s annual Sing Festival. It’s a masterclass in connecting with an audience. Hathaway’s earthy R&B style is alternately heartbreaking and uplifting; when it comes to themes of love and loss, no one captures the range of human emotion quite like Lalah. Watch it here.
Neo-soul pioneer Erykah Badu sat down with Qwest backstage at the Montreux Jazz Festival to answer 12 “qwestions” on her life in music. After beginning her career alongside fellow soul stars like D’Angelo, Badu went on to record her breakout album Baduzm, which featured the megahit “On & On.” From there, the vocalist’s profile would continue to expand, and today she can count Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper and Tyler, the Creator as collaborators. Watch it here.
Kool & The Gang – Live at Baloise Sessions 2017
Kool & The Gang, long a favorite of jazz fans everywhere, brings its trademark brand of grooving, horn-driven funk to the Baloise stage in Switzerland. The group has seen some changes over the years, but its ability to bring an audience to its feet and get their bottoms moving hasn’t waned a bit. Take a trip down memory lane with hits like “Get Down On It,” “Ladies Night,” “Celebration” and “Hollywood Swinging.” Watch it here.
Jacob Collier – Live at Montreux Jazz Festival (Secret Show)
Shhhh. This secret show by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/all-around-musical-wunderkind Jacob Collier took place behind the scenes at the 2018 Montreux Jazz Festival. Consider this your private backstage pass. Watch it here.