In more than 30 countries, the 30th April will be celebrated as International Jazz Day.
The day was inaugurated at UNESCO in March this year on initiative of American pianist Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador to whome this was a major priority since he was given this honorary title.
The celebration begun on Friday at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization headquater in Paris, with a big concert that featured Hancock, vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Tania Maria, basist Marcus Miller, guitarist Lionel Loueke and drummer Terri Lynne Carrington.
The central event celebrating the Intenational Jazz Day will be held today in two cities: New Orleans and New York.
At 7.00 AM local time at Congo Square in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, local musicians will play a “sunrise concert”, joined by Dianne Reeves. Herbie Hancock plans to perform his composition “Watermalon Man” with high school students from all over the world via video link.
(watch New Orleans sunrise concert here)
The second, “sunset concert” is at 7.30 PM at the General Assembly in New York with following musicians performing: Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Candido, Ron Carter, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robert Cray, Eli Degibri, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Heath, Zakir Hussain, Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Joe Lovano, Romero Lubambo, Shankar Mahadevan, Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela, Christian McBride, Danilo Pérez, Tineke Postma, Dianne Reeves, Troy Roberts, Bobby Sanabria, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and Tarek Yamani.
(watch New York sunset concert here)
You can watch here concert held on Friday in Paris.