LENNON'S "IMAGINE" 2022 INTL JAZZ DAY CONCERT

2022 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY ALL-STAR GLOBAL CONCERT

        LIVE AT 2 PM PDT today -- SATURDAY APRIL 30 

               VIEW ON YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK or .....

On April 30th AT 5 PM US EDT, watch the International Jazz Day 2022 All-Star Global Concert, streamed live from the UN General Assembly Hall in New York, featuring dozens of acclaimed artists affirming the importance of jazz as a means of achieving unity and peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

"Paris and New York -- UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock ... announced the program for the 2022 celebration of International Jazz Day, with events taking place in more than 180 countries.

The flagship Jazz Day event, a spectacular All-Star Global Concert, will be staged in the UN General Assembly Hall, in NewYork, emphasizing the importance of jazz as a means of achieving unity and peace through dialogue and diplomacy.  With Herbie Hancock serving as Host and Artistic Director and John Beasley as Musical Director, the program is set to feature performances by some of the world's most accomplished jazz artists..."

The jazz day web site continues ...

"This concert will be webcast worldwide today on April 30th at 5 pm EDT/2 pm PDT/11 pm CET on jazzday.com, unesco.org, hancockinstitute.org, the International Jazz Day YouTube and Facebook channels, UN Web TV and US State Department outlets.  

Jazz carries a universal message with the power to strengthen dialogue, our understanding of each other, and our mutual respect.  As the world is affected by multiple crises and conflicts, this international day highlights how much music and culture can contribute to peace," said Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock, who co-chairs International Jazz Day with the Director-General of UNESCO."

There have been a number of exciting jazz artists I've heard in recent decades including vocalists, instrumentalists. bands.   Jazz is very alive, thriving and exciting as performed by creative and talented musicians in countries around the world even though less prominent to many in our country in recent decades.   

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Did you view Michael Douglas introducing on PBS-TV Saturday 30th International Jazz Day I first viewed Friday night the 29th as I write this.  Unforgettable performances were featured by Herbie Hancock, Andra Day, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Miller and many more.  

This introductory program closes with various artists with Sean Lennon, son of composer John, joining to sing his father's memorable "Imagine" so poignant for our world today.

Check your Public Television Station (PBS-TV) for the airdate and time you can access!

Upcoming Airdates on our local Los Angeles Southern California PBS-TV stations:

Saturday.   April 30       3 am PDT on PBS SOCAL TV 50

Wednesday, May.  4     10 pm PDT on KCET TV 28

Thursday,     May.   5.      2 am PDT on KCET TV 28

Click on this website's "EXTRAS" for videos of many jazz artists performances including "Manteca" featuring an unforgettable performance at the historic Gran Teatro de La Habana -- Latin America's oldest theater.

ISTANBUL ... LADS ... JAZZ DAY ♫ ♪ ♫

Istanbul is where we're going even though this song was a fifties pop tune, not jazz -- but has such fun lyrics that I couldn't resist sharing it here.   The Four Lads,  known for their close harmony and acapella, were influenced by negro spirituals and gospel music to which some jazz artists also  were exposed.  






Streamed live from Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday, April 30th this year the International Jazz Day Concert webcast was sponsored by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO.)   Here's a link also to The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz which is the lead nonprofit organization charged with planning this annual celebration, which began in 2012.  

This  second annual festival  scheduled in different world cities is the primary focus here with this approximately two hour YouTube video recording.   The first 37 mins. consists of introductions beginning with legendary jazz pianist and composer, Herbie Hancock, who "..serves as UNESCO Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz."    He was  followed by other welcoming officials including International Jazz Day chair UNESCO General Irina Bokova. 



A little personal commentary -- ever since Ella Fitzgerald's scat singing many years ago of  "A Tisket, A Tasket, My Little Yellow Basket," demonstrating her vocal skills parallel with other musical instruments, many jazz singers subsequently have demonstrated their talents in a similar manner.   Wikipedia notes:

"In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice."  

I do appreciate this ability, but in small doses, just as there are certain other jazz forms I enjoy more than others.   That said, two singers do vocally play with "scat" here quite spectacularly -- Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves.   
 
The 2013 Jazz Day event as reported at the UNESCO website features "...Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, Joss Stone, Marcus Miller, John McLaughlin, Terence Blanchard, Ruben Blades, Ramsey Lewis, Hugh Masekela, Eddie Palmieri, Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves, George Duke, Lee Ritenour, Jean-Luc Ponty, Milton Nascimento, John Beasley, Igor Butman, Anat Cohen, Vinnie Coliauta, Imer Demirer, James Genus, Bilal Karaman, Pedrito Martinez, Keiko Matsui, Terri Lyne Carrington, Hüsnü Şenlendirici, Joe Louis Walker, Ben Williams and others."  (Spalding won a Grammy in 2011 you can read on my post then.)

A little historical background, "In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe." 

Most significantly,  "CO.NX: Connecting the World through Virtual Engagement -- a digital diplomacy team with the Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) at the U.S. Department of State" whose website features many live performances notes:

"Each year, this international art form is recognized for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, respect for human rights and human dignity, eradicating discrimination, promoting freedom of expression, fostering gender equality, and reinforcing the role of youth for social change."

UNESCO reports that "In 2012, [they] UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz presented three high-profile programs: a daylong celebration in Paris at UNESCO world headquarters; a sunrise concert in New Orleans’ Congo Square, the birthplace of jazz; and a sunset concert at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York City.

"Among the world-renowned artists that participated were John Beasley, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona (Cameroon), Dee Dee Bridgewater, Candido, Teri Lyne Carrington, Ron Carter, Robert Cray, Jack DeJohnette, George Duke, Sheila E., Herbie Hancock, Antonio Hart, Jimmy Heath, Hiromi (Japan), Zakir Hussain (India), Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Lang Lang (China), Joe Lovano, Romero Lubambo (Brazil), Shankar Mahadevan (India), Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela (South Africa), Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Danilo Pérez (Panama), Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Treme Brass Band and Stevie Wonder. Hosts included Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Quincy Jones."

Consider the 2012 and 2013 list of musicians names as reference for some jazz artists whose music  may tempt us to digitally access them -- especially, if like me, there are new names you don't recognize.   Recorded performances of many can likely be heard with a search for their own websites, on YouTube videos and with some tunes commercially available for download and/or purchase.  These are just some of the many jazz musicians performing today.  Other jazz artist names familiar to older generations have become part of jazz history as younger talents emerge into the music's future.    

WATERMELON LAMENT

The watermelon display outside one of my markets was gastronomically enticing. A welcome addition to our neighborhood only a few years ago, this young grocery chain has stores in Arizona, California, Texas and Colorado. They specialize in farm fresh produce purchased from local farmers when possible, also natural meats, fresh seafood, dairy products, juices, and bins full of bulk foods to name just a few attractive features. We still have weekly farmers markets elsewhere in our city, and in several nearby surrounding communities. I’m most appreciative of all these often natural, organic, offerings, since I don’t have a garden of my own, multiple fruit tree varieties, or chickens, much less dairy cattle.

This time from the market I purchased a small round wide-striped green and white watermelon, just the right size for my needs. I'll grant you the flavor in many of these melons isn't as rich and sweet as the black-seed-filled larger variety, but I settle for these hybrids. My refrigerator couldn’t immediately accommodate even that small melon, so I set it aside to remain at room temperature for a couple days. Some fruits, such as the Bartlett pears, bananas, pineapple, or recently harvested apricots and peaches that I purchase, continue to ripen over a several day period, so I fully expected this watermelon would easily tolerate several days similarly.

The day came I had finished the cantaloupe and honeydew melons that had occupied space in my refrigerator, so I looked forward to chilling this juicy red-meated watermelon. Preparing to slice this fruity specimen open, I picked up the melon bag only to allow a sudden dam-bursting amount of water to pour forth, splattering all over my kitchen floor. I'm convinced I had actually chosen the perfectly ripened melon that may have been meant to be eaten the same day, or one that must have cracked ever so slightly in transit from my market to home. Had I only noticed that crack a few days ago, I would have found a way to save my melon as soon as I brought it home, but I didn't. So, no watermelon for me that night.

Later in the evening I made one of my occasional visits to First 50 Words where Virginia DeBolt offers a variety of writing prompts. Here’s the prompt I encountered there, "Nothing sounds good," and the words that came to my mind follow. Obviously, I was still reeling from the unpleasantness of my earlier watermelon fiasco, so this must be some sort of warped lament.

Caution to those of weak constitution. Recommend you not be eating when you read this:


Does anything sound good?

Unripe bananas

Soured cottage cheese

Squashy watermelon

Fizz-less soda pop

Rotting potatoes

Moldy strawberries

Root-sprouting carrots

Germ-laden water

Browned peaches

Salmonella eggs

Fermented orange juice

Slimy lettuce

Unripe raspberrries

Smushy peppers

Mouth-puckering vinegar

Blackened avocado

Spoiled mayonnaise

Punky apples

Curdled milk

Decayed fish

Nothing sounds good!


But ... wait ..... this sounds good ........

Jazz lovers will likely enjoy Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" with Miles Davis:




Here's more "Watermelon Man" with Herbie Hancock's Quintet at the north Sea Jazz Festival, especially enjoyable if you appreciate improvisation.