“GroundUP is unlike any other musical event. Lines blur between artist and fan, and spill onto Miami Beach. Hear a jazz sampler from the 2018 line-up.”
“At GroundUP, ‘the line between stage and audiences doesn’t really exist,’ says musician Magda Giannikou, who led a massive drum and vocal session on the sand. ‘It’s a very interactive and creative festival. It feels like spending three days with your family.'”
“While only in its second year, this festival has proven adept at delivering a well-curated programming in a delightful setting and with a low-key, collaborative, no-star posturing. Artists sat in each other’s sets and were engaged in other activities on the program… and you could even see them taking in a performance or enjoying the setting.”
“When the GroundUP Music Festival debuted last year at the North Beach Bandshell, it created a scene that defied easy description, a synchronicity of sound by a vanguard of intrepid jazz and world-music experimenters and an intimate oceanfront setting of memorable beauty.”
“The second annual GroundUP Music Festival, which took place Feb. 9-11 in Miami Beach, felt a bit like paradise. Spearheaded by Snarky Puppy bassist Michael League, the festival brought together a diverse mix of artists for a three-day jam session in a Deco-inspired music haven on Miami Beach’s north coast. In only its second year, the festival already has broadened its profile, drawing major artists—and diverse crowds—to its gates.”
“Sunday’s music ride was full of unexpected side trips and didn’t-see-that-coming turns sprinkled through sets by pianist Shelly Berg, drummer Mark Giuliana, Thai-Swedish vocalist Sirintip, Cuban singer Eliades Ochoa with percussionist Sammy Figueroa, singer Becca Stevens, pianist Robert Glasper, and the closing show by Snarky Puppy.”
“A relaxed alternative to traditional festival fare, offering fans of virtuosic musicianship a chance to listen to – and in some instances, even directly interact with – their favorite artists in an intimate setting.”
