Today is Jazz Day, a worldwide celebration of America’s great cultural artform, now enjoyed around the globe by millions of music lovers.
The annual International Jazz Day was initiated UNESCO in 2011.
To celebration the occasion, JazzDay.com is hosting a virtual celebration of International Jazz Day, featuring at-home performances, video greetings and other expressions of solidarity.
The Smithsonian Museum’s Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) was created in 2001 to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.
In 2020, JAM celebrates the dynamic impact that women have made to jazz, both on and off the stage. This year, Smithsonian Jazz is highlighting a multitude of women artists on student-made posters from the Duke Ellington High School for the Arts. Features include Mary Lou Williams, the Sweethearts of Rhythm, Leigh Pilzer, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others. The winning poster features pianist, band leader, and composer Toshiko Akiyoshi.
In Massachusetts, the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and its founder and artistic director, Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Danilo Pérez, present a virtual reunion of the Wayne Shorter Quartet for International Jazz Day. Students and fans from around the world can experience the Quartet up close on stage and behind the scenes. The reunion takes place Thursday, April 30, from 2 – 3 p.m., live on the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Facebook page, and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Instagram account.
Another great local resource is JazzBoston. Founded in 2006, JazzBoston connects, promotes, and advocates for the musicians, audiences, and venues of Greater Boston’s dynamic and diverse jazz community.
WGBH in Boston, home to great jazz by radio host Eric Jackson, and Jazz 24/7 with Eric and Tessil Collins, is sharing the video of International Jazz Day live from Australia.