International Jazz Day, April 30

The Jazz Journalists Association's JazzApril campaign supports both Jazz Appreciation Month and International Jazz Day (April 30) We use JazzApril to refer to both and to stress that all of "April is Jazz Month."
For those of us who live and breathe jazz, dedicating a month to jazz may seem a bit redundant, or even silly-- but what JazzApril (the JJA's project to support the Smithsonian's Jazz Appreciation Month + UNESCO's Jazz Day on April 30) is really trying to do is to reach out beyond the cognoscenti, and build new audiences for jazz. That can't help but be good for all of us. Cheers!

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-jazz-day-2013/

"For over a century jazz -the universal language of passion and benevolence- has united people of disparate cultures, religions, and nationalities, fostered and strengthened communication and partnerships among heterogeneous groups, enhanced the peace-making process, and demonstrated just how much we all have in common. (...) No musical art form is more powerful as a diplomatic tool than jazz." - Message from Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General and Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador & Chairman of Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

International Jazz Day Press Conference, Istanbul


Al Jarreau, Wayne Shorter and many other jazz virtuosos -- Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, John McLaughlin, Robert Glasper, Lee Ritenour, Terence Blanchard etc -- were assembled, April 29, in Istanbul's famous Topkapi Palace Gardens to announce the most anticipated global musical event of the year: April 30, Istanbul, the 'City of Two Continents' will be unique as the global hub of jazz, live-streaming from 7 p.m. local time the notes of freedom to the near and far corners of the world.