This month is Jazz Appreciation Month and on April 30 will be International Jazz Day. Back in November of 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated April 30 as International Jazz Day. The day is meant to highlight jazz and its role in bringing people from all over the world together. UNESCO's Director General and iconic jazz artist Herbie Hancock is one of the leaders of International Jazz Day.
The centerpiece event of the day will be the International Jazz Day Global Concert. The concert will take place in Havana, Cuba. This year, Havana served as the Global Host City.
As part of an extended International Jazz Day celebration, from April 24 through 30 acclaimed musicians and educators from Cuba and around the world will participate in free jazz performances, master classes, improvisational workshops, jam sessions and community outreach initiatives. Programs will take place at schools, arts venues, community centers, jazz clubs and parks across the city of Havana and throughout Cuba, leading up to the festivities on April 30th. Additionally, jazz history and education programs will be provided for tens of thousands of students in over 11,000 schools across Cuba.
Read more below.
You can stream the entire concert this Sunday beginning at 8:00 pm (CST) via the International Jazz Day website.
The 2017 All-Star Global Concert will feature more than 50 renowned artists representing 14 countries, including Ambrose Akinmusire (United States), Carl Allen (United States), Melissa Aldana (Chile), Francisco “Pancho” Amat (Cuba), Marc Antoine (France), John Beasley (United States), Richard Bona (Cameroon), Till Brönner (Germany), A Bu (China), Igor Butman (Russian Federation), Bobby Carcassés (Cuba), Regina Carter (United States), Kurt Elling (United States), Roberto Fonseca (Cuba), Kenny Garrett (United States), Herbie Hancock (United States), Antonio Hart (United States), Quincy Jones (United States) Takuya Kuroda (Japan), Ivan Lins (Brazil), Sixto Llorente (Cuba), Marcus Miller (United States), Youn Sun Nah (Republic of Korea), Julio Padrón (Cuba), Gianluca Petrella (Italy), Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Cuba), Antonio Sánchez (Mexico), Christian Sands (United States), Esperanza Spalding (United States), Chucho Valdés (Cuba), Ben Williams (United States), Tarek Yamani (Lebanon), Dhafer Youssef (Tunisia), and more!
