Mar 4, 2025 1:29 PM
Changing of the Guard at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
On October 23, Ted Nash – having toured the world playing alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet and bass…
The International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert on April 30 will feature performances by an international roster of artists from all corners of the globe.
(Photo: Courtesy International Jazz Day)The 2024 edition of International Jazz Day will be celebrated in more than 190 countries on April 30. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock have announce that the city of Tangier, Morocco, will serve as the Global Host and will anchor the International Jazz Day programs around the world.
Presented in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Morocco and the City of Tangier, the four-day celebration (April 27–30) will emphasize the city’s jazz heritage and highlight cultural and artistic ties between people in Morocco, Europe and Africa. A series of education programs will include events for students of all ages, a special presentation showcasing the significance of Morocco’s Gnawa music and its connection with jazz, and conversations about the history of jazz and its impact on Tangier, among others. A culminating All-Star Global Concert at the new Palace of Arts and Culture of Tangier will be broadcast via YouTube, Facebook, the United Nations and UNESCO to millions of viewers worldwide.
Music enthusiasts can look forward to legendary figures of jazz, blues and beyond electrifying the city of Tangier and viewing screens throughout the world. Led by Hancock and Musical Director John Beasley (USA), the All-Star Global Concert will feature performances by an international roster of artists from all corners of the globe, including master Gnawa musician Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco). Other confirmed artists include Claudia Acuña (Chile), Ambrose Akinmusire (USA), Lakecia Benjamin (USA), Richard Bona (Cameroon), Dee Dee Bridgewater (USA), Moreira Chonguiça (Mozambique), Shemekia Copeland (USA), Kurt Elling (USA), Antonio Faraò (Italy), Melody Gardot (USA), Jazzmeia Horn (USA), JK Kim (Republic of Korea), Magnus Lindgren (Sweden), Romero Lubambo (Brazil), Marcus Miller (USA), Yasushi Nakamura (Japan), Tarek Yamani (Lebanon) and more to be announced.
Located at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, Tangier is known as a melting pot of cultural expressions. Tangier boasts a long, rich history of jazz. Among the world-renowned jazz artists who performed and spent time in Tangier were Josephine Baker, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Mann and Archie Shepp. For many years, jazz master Randy Weston lived in Tangier, where he collaborated with Gnawa master Abdellah El Gourd to explore the roots of jazz and African music.
Gnawa-jazz, a fusion of Morocco’s traditional musical style and jazz, is appreciated across Morocco and far beyond. In the 1970s, Weston founded the African Jazz Festival, which became the inspiration for multiple jazz festivals throughout Morocco, including Tanjazz and Jazzablanca.
In addition to the Global Concert, UNESCO encourages schools, universities and non-governmental organizations around the world to celebrate International Jazz Day. Performing arts venues, community centers, town squares, parks, libraries, museums, restaurants, clubs and festivals organize thousands of activities, while public radio and television feature jazz on and around International Jazz Day.
Established by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2011 and recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities worldwide every April 30. The annual International Jazz Day celebration highlights the power of jazz and its role in promoting peace, dialog among cultures, diversity and respect for human dignity.
International Jazz Day has become a global movement reaching more than 2 billion people annually on all continents through education programs, performances, community outreach, radio, television and streaming, along with electronic, print and social media. The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is the lead nonprofit organization charged with planning, promoting and producing International Jazz Day each year.
To learn more about International Jazz Day and register events on the official website, visit jazzday.com or unesco.org/en/international-jazz-day. DB
As Ted Nash, left, departs the alto saxophone chair for LCJO, Alexa Tarantino steps in as the band’s first female full-time member.
Mar 4, 2025 1:29 PM
On October 23, Ted Nash – having toured the world playing alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet and bass…
Larry Appelbaum with Wayne Shorter in 2012.
Feb 25, 2025 10:49 AM
Larry Appelbaum, a distinguished audio engineer, jazz journalist, historian and broadcaster, died Feb. 21, 2025, in…
“This is one of the great gifts that Coltrane gave us — he gave us a key to the cosmos in this recording,” says John McLaughlin.
Mar 18, 2025 3:00 PM
In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme, John Coltrane wrote: “Yes, it is true — ‘seek and ye shall…
The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.
Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
“You’ve got to trust that inner child, keep exploring, even though people think it’s wrong,” says Fortner.
Feb 25, 2025 11:20 AM
Every week at the Village Vanguard fosters its own sound. No one really knows how the music might evolve by Sunday, but…
