26 minutes for Arte Web presented by China Mose

Paris, France served as the 2015 Global Host City. Rich in history and culture, the City of Lights was a fitting choice for this year’s host celebration given its historically vibrant and innovative jazz scene. A daylong series of over 80 performances and education programs, including workshops, master classes, jam sessions and panel discussions, took place across all 20 city districts. The vast majority of events were free and open to the public. An array of French and international artists participated, ensuring that the streets of Paris truly did ring with the sounds and sights of jazz from morning until night on April 30.

In conjunction with UNESCO’s 70th Anniversary celebration, a spectacular All-Star Global Concert took place at UNESCO headquarters on the Place de Fontenoy, with opening remarks by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The show featured more than 20 extraordinary artists from 14 countries, including pianists John Beasley (Music Director), A Bu (China), Antonio Faraò (Italy) and Herbie Hancock; trumpeters Till Brönner (Germany), Hugh Masekela (South Africa) and Claudio Roditi (Brazil); vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Al Jarreau, Rudy Pérez and Dianne Reeves; saxophonists Igor Butman (Russia), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Guillaume Perret (France) and Wayne Shorter; bassists James Genus and Marcus Miller; guitarist Lee Ritenour; drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and harmonica player Grégoire Maret (Switzerland).

The Paris celebration was one part of a massive worldwide observance of International Jazz Day, with over 800 events taking place in more than 190 UN and UNESCO member states.