International Jazz Day 2019 Worldwide Celebration Concludes with Extraordinary All-Star Global Concert in Melbourne, Australia

Thousands of Performances and Programs Take Place in 195 Countries on All Continents

Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, Somi, Igor Butman, James Morrison, Lizz Wright and Jane Monheit perform during the International Jazz Day 2019 All-Star Global Concert at Hamer Hall on April 30, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz)

Melbourne, Australia, April 30 — Following thousands of jazz events taking place in 195 countries around the world, International Jazz Day 2019 came to a thrilling close this evening in Melbourne, Australia with an extraordinary All-Star Global Concert at the Melbourne Arts Centre's renowned Hamer Hall. Led by artistic co-directors Herbie Hancock (USA) and James Morrison (Australia), and musical director John Beasley (USA), the concert was streamed live by the United Nations and UNESCO and on www.jazzday.com. It featured riveting performances by over 30 international artists: Cieavash Arian (Iran), William Barton (Australia), Brian Blade (USA), A Bu (China), Igor Butman (Russian Federation), Theo Croker (USA), Joey DeFrancesco (USA), Eli Degibri (Israel), Kurt Elling (USA), James Genus (USA), Paul Grabowsky (Australia), Antonio Hart (USA), Matthew Jodrell (Australia), Aditya Kalyanpur (India), Ledisi (USA), Jane Monheit (USA), James Muller (Australia), Eijiro Nakagawa (Japan), Mark Nightingale (United Kingdom), Jeff Parker (USA), Chico Pinheiro (Brazil), Tineke Postma (Netherlands), Eric Reed (USA), Antonio Sánchez (Mexico), Somi (USA), Ben Williams (USA), Lizz Wright (USA) and Tarek Yamani (Lebanon).

The All-Star Global Concert opening performance showcased two of Australia's most beloved musicians: didgeridoo player William Barton and trumpeter James Morrison. Vocalist Jane Monheit later joined forces with Brazilian guitarist/vocalist Chico Pinheiro on Antonio Carlos Jobim's Brazilian jazz classic "Waters of March." Ledisi brought the house down with her spine-tingling vocals on "Try a Little Tenderness." Backing her was a 10-piece band that included a stellar horn section with Theo Croker, Eli Degibri, Matthew Jodrell, Eijiro Nakagawa and Tineke Postma. A Jazz Day tradition, the All-Star Global Concert concluded with the entire cast contributing to a global jazz-inspired rendition of John Lennon's peace anthem, "Imagine."

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Constant Boty is an established West African musician, specializing in a mix of West African folkloric music, European classical, jazz and electronics. He is also an experienced music educator who teaches guitar and tribal drumming. Boty has participated in International Jazz Day since 2014, when he collaborated with the UNESCO Accra Office while living in Ghana. In subsequent years, Boty has applied his experience as an organizer by producing concerts and education programs in both his home country of Cote d’Ivoire and in Ghana, with a special focus on celebrating Zaouli, the popular music and dance of Boty’s community and a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.Read More Count: 22 Offset: 12 Orig Offset: 672

International Jazz Day 2019 Around The World