Dr. Dyas in DownBeat: “Jazz – A Way to Run Your Business, A Way to Lead a Successful Life”

The following is an excerpt from the article “Jazz: A Way to Run Your Business, a Way to Lead a Successful Life” by Institute Vice President, Education and Curriculum Development Dr. JB Dyas, which appears in the August 2024 issue of DownBeat Magazine.

Dr. JB Dyas (left) presents a Jazz Informance at the U.S. Dept. of Education with trumpeter Sean Jones and the National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Sextet, highlighting the importance of jazz education in our public schools.

As a jazz musician and educator for the past several decades, I’ve come to realize that the jazz paradigm, that is, the tenets jazz musicians follow, makes not only for creative music making, but also for success in all aspects of life. Businesses from local mom and pops to Fortune 500 companies that have adopted the jazz philosophy in their practices and organizational structure have seen substantial increases in company morale, productivity and profits. And husbands, wives, significant others, children and extended family members who have come to live by the jazz mantra have found more peace, love, harmony and happiness in their lives.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a jazz musician, or even an aficionado, to reap the rewards that living a life guided by the jazz paradigm brings. You just need to know a little bit about what jazz is, how it works, and what jazz musicians do when creating this music that moves the soul (and feet!). In a nutshell, jazz is freedom within a framework. Here’s how it works.

Think of jazz like any other language – English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese or dozens of others spoken around the world. Just like a spoken language, jazz communicates thoughts and feelings. But rather than use words to convey how they’re feeling, jazz musicians use music to do the same. Just as in regular spoken conversation in which the conversers are saying what they’re thinking and feeling in real time depending on what others in the conversation are saying, jazz musicians are playing what they’re thinking and feeling in real time depending on what their bandmates are playing. That’s right – the overwhelming majority of what you hear in a jazz performance is improvised in the moment. That is, it is not composed ahead of time – just like regular conversation is not a prepared speech. Improvisation is an essential element of jazz.

Because there’s no need for spoken words, jazz is widely considered the universal language. Jazz musicians of all ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, cultures, races, personalities, socio-economic groups, ages and genders – irrespective of their particular spoken languages – can “speak” it. It’s not unusual to see a jazz ensemble comprising musicians of multiple generations from multiple countries, races and cultures all coming together for one common purpose: to make great music. If you can swing, regardless of anything else, we want you in the band!

With the exception of avant garde or free jazz, most jazz tunes are accompanied by a set of chords that provides support beneath the melody. This chord progression becomes the framework – called a “chorus” in jazz lingo – within which the jazz musicians improvise their own melodies spontaneously. A “chorus” is one time through a song’s entire chord progression. When jazz musicians perform a song, they play numerous choruses. The reason it doesn’t get boring – even though it’s the same chord progression played over and over – is because something new and different happens during each subsequent chorus. The audience doesn’t know what’s coming next for the very reason that the musicians themselves don’t know what’s coming next! It all materializes spontaneously and organically. The musicians and the audience are on a shared pathway of discovery. And if the musicians have done their homework, that is, know how to play their instruments, are creative and adhere to the jazz paradigm, it’s a beautiful thing, uplifting all those within earshot.

So, just what is the jazz paradigm? What are its tenets, and how do they translate into leadership, behavior and organizational structures that drive success for all who apply them? First and foremost…

Read the full article in DownBeat Magazine.

Institute’s Peer-to-Peer Sextet presents Jazz Education Tour to Rhode Island Public Schools, May 20-24

Featuring Internationally Renowned Recording Artists DON BRADEN and LISA HENRY

Washington, DC – With lead funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and United Airlines, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz will bring its Peer-to-Peer jazz education program to Rhode Island public schools May 20-24, 2024. Combining performance with educational information, these “informances” will be presented by the Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Sextet, comprising six of the country’s most gifted high school music students. They will be featured alongside internationally acclaimed saxophone recording artist Don Braden, Kansas City jazz and blues vocalist and a former winner of the Institute’s International Jazz Vocals Competition Lisa Henry, and renowned jazz educator Dr. JB Dyas. Each school visit will include an assembly program featuring a musical performance for all students, followed by workshops for each school’s jazz band and choir with the visiting student performers playing alongside and sharing ideas with their Rhode Island counterparts.

“We’ve found that sometimes young people can learn about certain things better from kids their same age, and one of them is jazz,” said jazz great Herbie Hancock, Institute Chairman, NEA Jazz Master, and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “And when you hear how accomplished these musicians are at such a young age, you know their peers are going to listen.”

Besides playing jazz at a level that belies their years, the students will talk with their Rhode Island peers about what jazz is, why it’s important to America, and how a jazz ensemble represents a perfect democracy. They also will discuss the important American values that jazz represents: teamwork, unity with ethnic diversity, the correlation of hard work and goal accomplishment, perseverance, and the importance of finding a passion early in life, being persistent, and believing in yourself. When young people hear this important message from kids their same age, they are often more likely to listen.

The members of the all-star sextet selected nationwide to participate in the Rhode Island tour include trumpeter Lucas Rivero (17) from Miami; trombonist Bishesh Paudel (18) from Houston; guitarist Nigel Valle (17) from New Orleans, pianist Nathan Tatsuta (17) from Santa Ana, CA;  bassist Læsio Littlejohn (17) from Dallas; and drummer Julian Frazier (18) from Baltimore. “This will actually be my second tour with Mr. Braden,” said Frazier, who toured with him last year for the Institute’s peer-to-peer tour in Arkansas, one of 44 states benefiting from this program since 2005. “That tour really inspired me to get serious and focused.”

Immediately following the informances, Braden, Henry, and Dyas will conduct jazz workshops for each host school’s jazz band and choir. The visiting students will play side-by-side with their Rhode Island counterparts, providing tutelage peer to peer. In so doing, they will teach and learn from one another not unlike what Herbie Hancock did with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and so many other eminent jazz artists over half a century. They’ll also learn about each other’s cities and cultures.

“I’m really looking forward to going to Rhode Island, home of the iconic Newport Jazz Festival,” added Paudel. “So many of my jazz heroes have performed there.”

ABOUT THE ARTISTS & EDUCATORS

Don Braden is one of the top tenor saxophonists and jazz flutists on the scene today. Appearing on more than 100 albums, including 20 as leader, Braden has recorded and performed around the globe with such eminent jazz artists as Randy Brecker, Betty Carter, Gerald Clayton, Herbie Hancock, Tom Harrell, Roy Haynes, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Terell Stafford, Dave Stryker, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Tony Williams. He is also a prolific and versatile composer, writing for ensembles ranging from duo to full symphonic orchestra in all styles of jazz, pop and world music for recordings, film and television. Besides being an internationally acclaimed performer and composer, Braden is a renowned jazz educator and has served on the faculties of Harvard, Montclair State and William Paterson universities. Formerly the artistic director of New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Jazz for Teens program, Braden currently serves as music director for the Litchfield Jazz Camp and presents workshops and master classes around the world. His latest recording, Earth, Wind, and Wonder – Volume 2 – comprising his jazz arrangements of Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder tunes – has received critical acclaim. www.donbraden.com

Lisa Henry is a dynamic vocalist with a combination of swingin’ cool and down home class. A Kansas City native, she began by singing gospel music in the Baptist church, and by age 12 was singing the music of Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. Henry was a winner of the Herbie Hancock Institute’s International Jazz Vocals Competition and was later named an International Jazz Ambassador to Africa. She toured Chile, Argentina, and Peru with the Institute in the 1990s, performing for 34 Heads of State at the Summit of the Americas. In 2006 she participated in a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of India and performed for an esteemed presidential dinner at the White House, celebrating the Institute’s 20th Anniversary. Over the past 25 years, Henry has toured the globe, sharing the stage with such artists as Ambrose Akinmusire, Kenny Barron, Don Braden, Bobby Broom, Gerald Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Sean Jones, Kevin Mahogany, Delfeayo Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Terell Stafford, Bobby Watson and Steve Wilson. Her Live from 18th and Vine recording has been lauded by jazz fans and critics alike. www.lisahenryjazz.com

Dr. JB Dyas has been a leader in jazz education for the past two decades. Formerly the Executive Director of the Brubeck Institute, Dyas currently serves as Vice President for Education and Curriculum Development at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. He oversees the Institute’s education and outreach programs including Jazz In America: The National Jazz Curriculum (www.jazzinamerica.org), one of the most significant and wide-reaching jazz education programs in the world. Throughout his career, he has performed across the country, taught students at every level, directed large and small ensembles, and developed and implemented new jazz curricula. He has written for DownBeat magazine and other national music publications, presented numerous jazz workshops, teacher-training seminars and jazz “informances” around the globe with such renowned artists as Dave Brubeck and Herbie Hancock, and created a series of teacher-training jazz education videos. Dr. Dyas received his master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami and PhD in Music Education from Indiana University, and is a recipient of the DownBeat Achievement Award for Jazz Education.

ABOUT THE HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a nonprofit education organization with a mission to offer the world’s most promising young musicians college level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and to present public school music education programs for young people around the world. The Institute preserves, perpetuates and expands jazz as a global art form, and utilizes jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. All of the Institute’s programs are provided free of charge to students, schools and communities worldwide. The Institute’s programs use jazz as the medium to encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, a positive self-image, and respect for one’s own and others’ cultural heritage. Jazz great Herbie Hancock serves as the Institute’s chairman. www.hancockinstitute.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ PROGRAM

The Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Performing Arts High School Jazz Program facilitates the education of gifted music students who attend public performing arts high schools across the nation. The Program offers them opportunities to participate in pre-conservatory, highly specialized, performance-based jazz curricula; study with some of the world’s most eminent jazz artists and educators; perform in jazz ensembles comprising their peers; and prepare for entry into the country’s most distinguished conservatories and university schools of music. Included is instruction in Jazz Improvisation, Theory, Composition, History, and Styles and Analysis. The Institute works with each school in developing jazz curricula and instructional methodology; provides ongoing private and group instruction with Institute teaching staff, visiting artists and educators; offers special residences with jazz masters; arranges high-profile performance opportunities for the student ensembles; and assists graduating seniors with securing college scholarships.

ABOUT THE PEER-TO-PEER JAZZ EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Through the Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Initiative, which receives lead funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and United Airlines, outstanding music students from public performing arts high schools across the nation are invited to participate in weeklong peer-to-peer jazz informance tours. The young musicians gain invaluable performance experience playing alongside internationally acclaimed artists while they, in turn, help educate young audiences in public schools throughout the U.S. about jazz, America’s indigenous musical art form. In so doing, they not only help develop jazz audiences for the future, but also exemplify the deeply held American values that jazz represents: teamwork, unity with ethnic diversity, democracy, persistence and perseverance, and the vital importance of really listening to one another.

* Media Day/VIP Concerts

  • Warwick – Tuesday, May 21 • 10:00 am  – Pilgrim High School, 11 Pilgrim Pkwy, Warwick, RI 02888

With opening remarks by special guests: Frank Picozzi, Mayor, City of Warwick • Lynn Dambruch, Superintendent, Warwick Public Schools

  • Newport – Wednesday, May 22 • 9:15 am – Rogers High School, 15 Wickham Rd, Newport, RI 02840

With opening remarks by special guests: Xay Khamsyvoravong, Mayor, City of Newport • Dr. Colleen Jermain, Superintendent, Newport Public Schools

  • Providence – Friday, May 24 • 1:00 pm – Hope High School, 324 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906

With opening remarks by special guests: Brett Smiley, Mayor, City of Providence Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner, Rhode Island Department of Education • Dr. Javier Montañez, Superintendent, Providence Public Schools

For more information, full-length bios and photos, or to schedule an interview with the artists and/or students, please contact: JB Dyas at jbdyas@hancockinstitute.org or 323-270-3904.

Institute’s Peer-to-Peer Sextet presents Jazz Education Tour to Wyoming Public Schools, May 13-17

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE HERE.

Featuring Internationally Renowned Recording Artists TERELL STAFFORD and LISA HENRY

Weeklong series of events includes a free performance open to the public at Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium at Laramie County Community College on May 16

Washington, DC – With lead funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and United Airlines, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz will bring its Peer-to-Peer jazz education program to Albany and Laramie County public schools May 13-17, 2024. Combining performance with educational information, these “informances” will be presented by the Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Quintet, comprising five of the country’s most gifted high school music students. They will be featured alongside internationally acclaimed trumpet recording artist Terell Stafford, Kansas City jazz and blues vocalist and a former winner of the Institute’s International Jazz Vocals Competition Lisa Henry, and renowned jazz educator Dr. JB Dyas. Each school visit will include an assembly program featuring a musical performance for all students, followed by workshops for each school’s jazz band and choir with the visiting student performers playing alongside and sharing ideas with their Wyoming counterparts.

“We’ve found that sometimes young people can learn about certain things better from kids their same age, and one of them is jazz,” said jazz great Herbie Hancock, Institute Chairman, NEA Jazz Master, and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “And when you hear how accomplished these musicians are at such a young age, you know their peers are going to listen.”

Besides playing jazz at a level that belies their years, the students will talk with their Wyoming peers about what jazz is, why it’s important to America, and how a jazz ensemble represents a perfect democracy. They also will discuss the important American values that jazz represents: teamwork, unity with ethnic diversity, the correlation of hard work and goal accomplishment, perseverance, and the importance of finding a passion early in life, being persistent, and believing in yourself. When young people hear this important message from kids their same age, they are often more likely to listen.

The members of the high school all-star quintet selected nationwide to participate in the Wyoming tour include saxophonist Quinn Rehkemper from Baltimore; vibraphonist Wanye Williams from Chicago; pianist Taylor Lee from Los Angeles; bassist Mia Desalos from Houston; and drummer Enzo Pulley from Miami. “I had the opportunity to perform with Mr. Stafford last year at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC, where we presented a jazz informance with Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona to highlight the importance of music education in our public schools,” said Rehkemper. “And now actually getting to tour with Mr. Stafford is a dream come true.”

Immediately following the informances, Stafford, Henry, and Dyas will conduct jazz workshops for each host school’s jazz band and choir. The visiting students will play side-by-side with their Wyoming counterparts, providing tutelage peer to peer. In so doing, they will teach and learn from one another not unlike what Herbie Hancock did with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and so many other eminent jazz artists for over half a century. They’ll also learn about each other’s cities and cultures.

“I’m really looking forward to going to Wyoming,” added Taylor Lee, the student from Los Angeles. “Wide open spaces, clean air, no traffic – I might just stay!”

The weeklong tour will include a free concert open to the public on May 16 at 7:00 pm at Laramie County Community College’s Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium (1400 E College Dr) where Cheyenne residents and visitors are invited to enjoy an evening of music with Stafford and Henry alongside jazz’s future “young lions.” The septet will perform standards, jazz classics and contemporary jazz, including tunes from Stafford’s and Henry’s latest recordings. For further information, call 307-778-1120.


About The Artists & Educators

Terell Stafford is one of the top jazz trumpeters on the scene today. Born in Miami and raised in Chicago and Silver Spring, Maryland, Stafford attended the University of Maryland and Rutgers University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively. While at Rutgers, he was invited to join Bobby Watson’s group, Horizon, with whom he performed and recorded for five years. He has since gone on to appear on more than 140 albums and perform around the globe with such eminent jazz artists as Kenny Barron, Benny Golson, Antonio Hart, Jimmy Heath, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Billy Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Tim Warfield, and Frank Wess. Stafford is currently a member of the iconic Grammy Award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Grammy-nominated Clayton Brothers Quintet, in addition to his own quintet. He has recorded ten albums as leader, including his critically acclaimed latest release, Between Two Worlds (Le Coq Records, 2023). He also serves as artistic director of the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia. Besides being an internationally acclaimed performer and prolific composer, Stafford is a renowned educator and enjoys working with up-and-coming young jazz artists. He currently serves as director of jazz studies and chair of instrumental studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. www.terellstafford.com

Lisa Henry is a dynamic vocalist with a combination of swingin’ cool and down home class. A Kansas City native, she began by singing gospel music in the Baptist church, and by age 12 was singing the music of Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. Henry was a winner of the Herbie Hancock Institute’s International Jazz Vocals Competition and was later named an International Jazz Ambassador to Africa. She toured Chile, Argentina, and Peru with the Institute in the 1990s, performing for 34 Heads of State at the Summit of the Americas. In 2006 she participated in a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of India and performed for an esteemed presidential dinner at the White House, celebrating the Institute’s 20th Anniversary. Over the past 25 years, Henry has toured the globe, sharing the stage with such artists as Ambrose Akinmusire, Kenny Barron, Don Braden, Bobby Broom, Gerald Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Sean Jones, Kevin Mahogany, Delfeayo Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Terell Stafford, Bobby Watson and Steve Wilson. Her Live from 18th and Vine recording has been lauded by jazz fans and critics alike. www.lisahenryjazz.com

Dr. JB Dyas has been a leader in jazz education for the past two decades. Formerly the Executive Director of the Brubeck Institute, Dyas currently serves as Vice President for Education and Curriculum Development at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. He oversees the Institute’s education and outreach programs including Jazz In America: The National Jazz Curriculum (www.jazzinamerica.org), one of the most significant and wide-reaching jazz education programs in the world. Throughout his career, he has performed across the country, taught students at every level, directed large and small ensembles, and developed and implemented new jazz curricula. He has written for DownBeat magazine and other national music publications, presented numerous jazz workshops, teacher-training seminars and jazz “informances” around the globe with such renowned artists as Dave Brubeck and Herbie Hancock, and created a series of teacher-training jazz education videos. Dr. Dyas received his master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami and PhD in Music Education from Indiana University, and is a recipient of the DownBeat Achievement Award for Jazz Education.

About the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a nonprofit education organization with a mission to offer the world’s most promising young musicians college level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and to present public school music education programs for young people around the world. The Institute preserves, perpetuates and expands jazz as a global art form, and utilizes jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. All of the Institute’s programs are provided free of charge to students, schools and communities worldwide. The Institute’s programs use jazz as the medium to encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, a positive self-image, and respect for one’s own and others’ cultural heritage. Jazz great Herbie Hancock serves as the Institute’s Chairman. www.hancockinstitute.org.

About the National Performing Arts High School Jazz Program

The Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Performing Arts High School Jazz Program facilitates the education of gifted music students who attend public performing arts high schools across the nation. The Program offers them opportunities to participate in pre-conservatory, highly specialized, performance-based jazz curricula; study with some of the world’s most eminent jazz artists and educators; perform in jazz ensembles comprising their peers; and prepare for entry into the country’s most distinguished conservatories and university schools of music. Included is instruction in Jazz Improvisation, Theory, Composition, History, and Styles and Analysis. The Institute works with each school in developing jazz curricula and instructional methodology; provides ongoing private and group instruction with Institute teaching staff, visiting artists and educators; offers special residences with jazz masters; arranges high-profile performance opportunities for the student ensembles; and assists graduating seniors with securing college scholarships.

About the Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Initiative

Through the Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Initiative, which receives lead funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and United Airlines, outstanding music students from public performing arts high schools across the nation are invited to participate in weeklong peer-to-peer jazz informance tours. The young musicians gain invaluable performance experience playing alongside internationally acclaimed artists while they, in turn, help educate young audiences in public schools throughout the U.S. about jazz, America’s indigenous musical art form. In so doing, they not only help develop jazz audiences for the future, but also exemplify the deeply held American values that jazz represents: teamwork, unity with ethnic diversity, democracy, persistence and perseverance, and the vital importance of really listening to one another.

* Media Day/VIP Concerts

  • Laramie – Tuesday, May 14 • 11:55 am  – Laramie High School, 1710 Boulder Dr, Laramie, WY 82070

With special guests Mayor Patrick Harrington, City of Laramie; Vice Mayor Sharon Cumbie, City of Laramie; Superintendent John Goldhardt, Albany County School District

  • Cheyenne – Friday, May 17 • 10:15 am – East High School, 2800 E Pershing Blvd, Cheyenne, WY 82001

With special guests Governor Mark Gordon, State of Wyoming; Mayor Patrick Collins, City of Cheyenne; Chief of Staff Dicky Shanor, Wyoming Department of Education; Cheyenne Field Representative Karmen Rossi, Office of U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis; Superintendent Stephen Newton, Laramie County School District

For more information, full-length bios and photos, or to schedule an interview with the artists and/or students, please contact: JB Dyas at jbdyas@hancockinstitute.org or 323-270-3904.

International Jazz Day 2024 Worldwide Celebration Concludes with All-Star Global Concert from Tangier, Morocco 

Thousands of Performances and Events Presented in More Than 190 Countries, All Continents 

Tangier, April 30 — The 13th annual International Jazz Day came to a thrilling conclusion with an historic All-Star Global Concert from the new Palace of Arts and Culture of Tangier. Hosted by internationally acclaimed actor Jeremy Irons, the concert featured world-renowned artists including master Gnawa musician Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco) and jazz icon Herbie Hancock along with Claudia Acuña (Chile), Ambrose Akinmusire (USA), John Beasley (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), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Magnus Lindgren (Sweden), Romero Lubambo (Brazil), Marcus Miller (USA), Yasushi Nakamura (Japan), Tarek Yamani (Lebanon) and many others.

The All-Star Global Concert opened with a special “Welcome to Country” performance by renowned Dar Gnawa musicians, followed by Dee Dee Bridgewater’s spectacular performance of Chick Corea’s “Spain,” highlighting the cultural connections between Morocco and Spain. Jazzmeia Horn enlisted the talents of Ambrose Akinmusire and Billy Childs in the swinging “Free Your Mind.” Richard Bona gave a tender performance of his song “Esoka Bulu (Night Whisper).” TK Blue and Gnawa icon Abdellah El Gourd paid homage to Morocco’s Gnawa music and American jazz, performing Randy Weston’s composition, “Blue Moses.” Melody Gardot and Philippe Powell delivered a sublime rendition of “This Foolish Heart Could Love You.” Femi Kuti declared there is “One People, One World” on his electrifying Afro-Beat performance. Kurt Elling paid tribute to Wayne Shorter by performing Shorter’s composition, “Speak No Evil.” Shemekia Copeland and Joe Louis Walker brought the blues front and center with “Nobody But You.” 

The International Jazz Day 2024 celebration included thousands of performances, master classes, jam sessions, education programs and community service and outreach initiatives in more than 190 countries, culminating in the Global Concert, which is available free-of-charge at jazzday.com.

Major support for International Jazz Day 2024 is provided by the Doris Duke Foundation, with additional, generous support from GRoW @ Annenberg. United, the International Jazz Day Global Airline Partner, provided air transportation and additional support for artists and educators.

Each year on April 30, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities worldwide promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity and respect for human dignity. International Jazz Day was adopted by the UNESCO Member Nations on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, who co-chairs the annual celebration with UNESCO Director-GeneralAudrey Azoulay. 

Azoulay said, “Jazz, as legendary American singer Nina Simone eloquently put it, is more than just music. It transcends musical notes; it is ‘a way of life…a way of being, a way of thinking.’”

Hancock added, “As we celebrate Jazz Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the enduring legacy of jazz and its ability to uplift, inspire and unite us all.”

Tangier selected as the 2024 Global Host City of International Jazz Day

Worldwide Celebration on April 30

Paris and Washington, DC, March 19, 2024 – 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 are pleased to announce that the city of Tangier, Morocco will serve as the Global Host and will anchor the International Jazz Day programs around the world.

The designation of Tangier marks the first time a city on the African continent will host International Jazz Day, the world’s largest and most significant celebration of jazz,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

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 beautiful, new Palace of Arts and Culture of Tangier – an architectural masterpiece – will be broadcast via YouTube, Facebook, JazzDay.com, 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 screens throughout the world. Led by iconic pianist Herbie 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 many 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, dialogue 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  www.jazzday.com or www.unesco.org/en/international-jazz-day.


About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2,300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2,000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13,000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay. More information: www.unesco.org

Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz preserves, perpetuates and expands jazz as a global art form, and utilizes jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. The Institute is a nonprofit education organization with a mission to offer the world’s most promising young musicians college level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and to present public school music education programs for young people around the world. More information: www.hancockinstitute.org

MEDIA CONTACTSAlisse KINGSLEY
+ 1 323 467 8508 press@jazzday.com
Polina HUARD
+33 (0)145 68 10 17 p.huard@unesco.org