This Saturday, the 30th of April, marks International Jazz Day, which was founded in 2011 by UNESCO, to allow jazz musicians from around the world to enjoy and celebrate the art of jazz, as part of Jazz Appreciation Month. With pianist Herbie Hancock and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay serving as leaders, International Jazz Day has promoted dialogue among cultures, peace, and freedom of expression through the shared art form for over 10 years.
As part of International Jazz Day this year hundreds of events are being held in over 190 countries, most notably the ‘All-Star Global Concert’, which will be held in the United Nations Headquaters in New York, and will feature a number of top jazz musicians from around the world. With Herbie Hancock acting as Host and Artistic Director, and John Beasley as Musical Director, the concert will serve as the main event in the celebrations. A full list of participating artists can be found on their website: https://jazzday.com/global-concert-2022/, and includes both up-and-coming artists such as Joey Alexander, and established names such as Randy Brecker.
Locally, in London, several events are being held this Saturday in honour of International Jazz Day, including the Steve Waterman Quartet playing at Lauderdale House, Liane Carroll at 606 club, and ‘Together We Go Forward’, an event organised by the World Heart Beat Music Academy which is in partnership with the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy. ‘Together We Go Forward’ will be held at The Bridge Academy in North London, and will feature students from both academies. One student, Zachary Dowlatshahi, stated that: “International Jazz Day is a great opportunity to discover new and talented jazz musicians as they take over local venues for an evening. I will be watching [the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy] perform this Saturday!”
To conclude, International Jazz Day has been a significant part of many jazz musicians’ calendars in recent years, and has helped to give jazz lovers recognition in the world of music and culture, ensuring that the art form continues to be celebrated for many years to come.
