International Jazz Day From Cuba

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More than 50 world-renowned artists come together for an extraordinary International Jazz Day all-star global concert, recorded at the Gran Teatro de La Habana in Havana, Cuba on April 30, 2017.

The event marked International Jazz Day, the one day each year that jazz is celebrated worldwide, bringing together people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities in more than 190 countries on all seven continents.

This all-star global concert highlights one of the largest-ever assemblages of Cuban and American artists on a single stage, and its many historic moments include a first-time collaboration between bassist Esperanza Spalding and Cuban music legend Bobby Carcassés, and stellar emceeing from host Will Smith and music legend Quincy Jones.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

The concert spans virtually every era and corner of recorded jazz, from a swinging rendition of Gershwin’s “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York” by vocalist Kurt Elling and Chilean sax phenom Melissa Aldana, to a haunting take on “Bésame Mucho” from Korean vocalist Youn Sun Nah and violinist Regina Carter, to an explosive original performance by more than a dozen of Cuba’s top veteran jazz musicians.

Herbie Hancock joins Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, Ambrose Akinmusire and Antonio Sánchez to perform his composition “4 AM.” Cameroonian bassist/vocalist Richard Bona and Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca get the house moving with “Bilongo,” accompanied by Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda.

And in true International Jazz Day tradition, the evening concludes with an ensemble performance of John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine,” featuring an unmistakably Cuban inflection.

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Pianist Herbie Hancock performs at the 2017 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Havana, Cuba.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

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Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding performs at the 2017 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Havana, Cuba.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

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(L-R) Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chucho Valdes and Barbarito Torres perform at the 2017 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Havana, Cuba.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

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Percussionist Oscar Valdés performs at the 2017 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Havana, Cuba.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

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Saxophonist Kenny Garrett performs with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire at the 2017 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Havana, Cuba.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

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The cast of the 2017 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert performs their finale, a rendition of John Lennon’s iconic “Imagine,” at the Gran Teatro de La Habana in Havana, Cuba.

Courtesy of Steve Mundinger

A co-production of WTTW Chicago and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.