Apr 30, 2016
April 30th is the day set aside as International Jazz Day around the world. Beginning in 2012, UNESCO set aside the day as a celebration of “the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.”
I was fortunate enough to attend the first International Jazz Day concert on the floor of the United Nations that year. It was a fabulous event, bringing talent form across the globe onstage for memorable performances. Click here for my review of the event.
The past few years have had celebratory concerts in Istanbul, Turkey; Osaka, Japan; and Paris, France. The 2016 blow-out will take place in Washington, D.C. Our nation’s capital will join with towns, cities and villages in over 190 countries on all 7 continents to observe International Jazz Day through thousands of performances and programs.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host the 5th anniversary International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert at the White House on April 29th, broadcast the next day as a one-hour primetime ABC television special, “Jazz at the White House,” on Saturday evening, April 30th and streamed on the United Nations, UNESCO, U.S. State Department and White House websites.
Among those scheduled to appear in D.C. are pianists Joey Alexander, John Beasley (Music Director), Kris Bowers, Chick Corea, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Danilo Pérez and Chucho Valdés; trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Till Brönner, Hugh Masekela and James Morrison; vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jamie Cullum, Kurt Elling, Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau, Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves and Sting; saxophonists Eli Degibri, David Sánchez, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Watson; bassists Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding and Ben Williams; guitarists Buddy Guy, Lionel Loueke, Pat Metheny and Lee Ritenour; drummers Brian Blade, Terri Lyne Carrington and Kendrick Scott; percussionist Zakir Hussain; trombone player Trombone Shorty; and the Rebirth Brass Band.
Here at Straight No Chaser, it is our tradition to celebrate International Jazz Day by giving you an hour plus of uninterrupted jazz from artists who hail from the four corners of the earth. It’s a delight to see that performers like Anat Cohen, born in Israel, brilliantly play Brazilian music, while artists from Africa and South America are playing American jazz with their own unique twists and turns. Enjoy Podcast 53_, featuring music from artists including:
Avishai Cohen (Israel) - “Muhammad’s Market”
Anat Cohen (Israel) - “Beatriz”
Abdullah Ibrahim (South Africa) - “Soweto"
Vijay Iyer (India) and Wadada Leo Smith (USA) - “Passage”
Marcos Varela (Brazil) - “Colinas de Santa Maria”
Gato Barbieri (Argentina) - “Gato Gato”
Joachim Kuhn Trio (Germany) - “Blues for Pablo”
Tee Mac (Nigeria) - “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Key”
Hiromi (Japan) - “What Will Be, Will Be”
Darren Barrett (Canada) featuring Warren Wolf (USA) - “The Club Up the Street”
Ferenc Snetberger (Hungary) - “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
Cyrille Aimee (France) - “T’es Beau To Sais”
Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gl (Brazil) - 'Tropicalia"
Esbjorn Swensson Trio (Sweden) - "Viaticum"