International Jazz Day this Sunday (30 April 2023) will celebrate the magick of jazz with a concert, hosted by Herbie Hancock, and livestreamed from 13 cities around the world.

The concert, which is being penned as “A Jazz Journey Around the World”, will feature performances by Dianne Reeves, Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Christian McBride, and Ambrose Akinmusire.

Performances will also take place from musicians in Beijing, China; Beirut, Lebanon; Casablanca, Morocco; Johannesburg, South Africa; Marondera, Zimbabwe; Paris, France; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Vienna, Austria; and Fairbanks, Honolulu, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC, USA. 

Brazil-based Sérgio Mendes, who alongside his band Brasil ’66 achieved worldwide success with hits such as Mas que Nada, will also perform on International Jazz Day.

International Jazz Day has been running every year on 30 April since 2011. Now in its 12th year, Herbie Hancock said: “As the world’s largest, most inclusive celebration of jazz music, International Jazz Day unites people across the globe. Jazz has always been about expanding boundaries – inspiring musicians toward the future and its infinite possibilities.

“This year, we are thrilled that the All-Star Global Concert will reflect this expansive identity in a new way, by sharing with our audience a rich palette of sounds on more than a dozen stages in every corner of the planet.”

The All-Star Global Concert will be webcast worldwide on April 30 at 4 pm EDT/1 pm PDT/10 pm CET on jazzday.com, unesco.org, as well as the International Jazz Day YouTube and Facebook channels, and other outlets.

Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about entertainments and storytelling of all kinds.