Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
In Memoriam: Gordon Goodwin, 1954–2025
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Pianist Herbie Hancock is International Jazz Day’s ambassador and artistic co-director.
(Photo: Courtesy International Jazz Day)St. Petersburg, Russia, will serve as the global host city for the annual International Jazz Day, with events being held on April 29 and 30.
Herbie Hancock, the event’s ambassador this year, and Audrey Azoulay, director general of UNESCO, recently announced the program, which in addition to performances in St. Petersburg will encompass events in 190 countries. The yearly event was founded in 2011 by UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to laud the genre’s part in promoting freedom and creativity. This year in the host city, a variety of discussions, workshops and outreach programs also will be held. The free celebration culminates in performances at the Mariinsky Theatre and will be streamed online.
Hancock and Russian saxophonist Igor Butman serve as artistic co-directors of the St. Petersburg concert, and American pianist and arranger John Beasley is the musical director.
Performers in St. Petersburg are set to include:
The host for International Jazz Day in 2019 will be Sydney, Australia, with the Sydney Opera House—a UNESCO World Heritage site—serving as the performance venue for next year’s all-star concert.
For more information about the celebration, visit the International Jazz Day homepage. DB
Goodwin was one of the most acclaimed, successful and influential jazz musicians of his generation.
Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.
Jan 19, 2026 5:02 PM
Ralph Towner, a guitarist and composer who blended multiple genres, including jazz — and throughout them all remained…
Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab
Jan 19, 2026 2:48 PM
With this year’s NAMM Show right around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of new and innovative instruments…
Dec 11, 2025 11:00 AM
DownBeat presents a complete list of the 4-, 4½- and 5-star albums from 2025 in one convenient package. It’s a great…
