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Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 250 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.
The month of April may mean many things to many people, like spring and showers, but as a jazz fan, I’m elated to once again welcome the advent of “Jazz Appreciation Month,” which is also known as JAM. It was created by the National Museum of American History in 2001 “to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.”
During April, special events, concerts, and performances are being held across the nation, showcasing the multiple genres of jazz—and its history.
You can head over to their website and download this year’s poster:
Lester Young and his “Cool School” This year’s poster artwork features a portrait of jazz legend Lester Young (1909-1959). The portrait comes from LeRoy Neiman’s brilliantly colored 2005 Big Band painting depicting notable jazz musicians in performance. Nicknamed “Pres”—short for President, Lester Willis Young is among the most respected saxophonists of the 20th century. With an innovative playing style, a slick fashion sense, and his cool cat slang, Lester Young’s influence on jazz music and culture is profound.
Young was raised in a musical family, and from a young age he would perform and tour all over the United States. In 1933, Lester Young settled in Kansas City and rose to prominence playing with the Count Basie Orchestra. His relaxed, free-floating approach set him apart from other sax players at the time. By 1936, the Basie Orchestra moved to New York City to cut their teeth full time in the city’s thriving jazz scene. Young continued performing with Basie and others, sitting in on recording sessions, and joining jam sessions with a host of Harlem’s best jazz musicians including Billie Holiday. Young’s musicianship continues to inspire generations of saxophonists who experiment with the “cool school” sound of jazz.
That’s the cue to play a little Prez, salute April and Sunday too:
Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra Harry James (tp), Benny Morton (tb), Edgar Sampson, Benny Carter (as), Lester Young, Herschel Evans (ts), Teddy Wilson (p), Al Casey (g), Walter Page (sb), Jo Jones (d), Billie Holiday (vcl).
“Sunday”:
For more on Lester Young, check out my 2023 Black Music Sunday tribute to “Prez”:
Black Music Sunday: On President’s Day, Lester Young will always be ‘The Prez’ of jazz
Disturbingly, there’s no telling what the future will be for our venerable institutions that preserve and promote the music that is our heritage, but jazz will continue to be alive and well across this nation and around the globe, no matter what the bitter orange menace manages to do to desecrate and eliminate its place in our history.
Rashad Grove at EBONY reported:
President Donald Trump issued a new executive order on Thursday evening (March 27) seeking to overhaul the Smithsonian Institution, targeting funding for programs that advance “divisive narratives.”
Under Trump’s order, Vice-President Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, will lead the White House budget office to ensure that the institution’s funding is not spent on programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy.
“Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth. This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light. Under this historical revision, our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed,” the executive order reads.
In the order, Trump takes aim at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Women’s History Museum, which is under construction, and the American Art Museum.
I hope our readership will have loud and active pushback about this, and contact their elected officials.
Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some of the available materials we can enjoy and share not only during this designated month but also all year round.
This “Jazz Appreciation Month” cartoon video from the Fleischer Studios archives, featuring the late great Cab Calloway and Betty Boop, brought a smile to my face.
Since Jazz Appreciation Month was inaugurated, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has featured both musicians and visual artists, like this 2021 tribute to Nina Simone:
National Museum of American History video note:
Featured on this year’s official 2021 poster is pianist, singer, songwriter, storyteller and civil rights activist Nina Simone. This year, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) recognized the historical legacy of pianist, singer, songwriter, storyteller, and civil rights activist Nina Simone. The annual JAM poster is an illustration of Nina Simone by Duke Ellington School of the Arts sophomore visual arts student Naa Anyele Sowah-de Jesus.
Bassist and composer Israel “Cachao” López was the featured musician for Jazz Appreciation Month 2022—highlighting Afro-Caribbean Music and Latin jazz:
“The artist for the 2022 JAM poster is Francis Henry Cuadro, a senior visual arts student at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, D.C.”
AllAboutJazz reports:
The annual campaign, themed by the MPTF as “Jazz Across America,” features the support of website partners All About Jazz and Jazz Near You, where performer and event location information for most of the performances are being listed.
These websites boast the world’s largest jazz events calendars and reach a combined 240,000 viewers per month.All live stream events will be featured on the MPTF Facebook page. Beck added, “Tuning in to live stream performance events as they happen is a unique way the public can experience jazz musicians from various locales throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
Jazz performances have been supported by the MPTF since it began more than 75 years ago, and over 1,600 regional jazz concerts have been funded since the end of the pandemic. With this year’s projections, the fund will have distributed more than $3.1 million in Jazz Across America grants to compensate these fine musicians. Events will be organized by American Federation of Musicians locals to ensure fair compensation for all performers.
Here a sampling of some of the April events being held around the country:
In New Orleans, there’s Jazzfest, which runs from April 24 through May 4.
In New York City, there’s “Jazz at Lincoln Center.” Check out the schedule: “Jazz at Lincoln Center Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with Performances for All-Ages Honoring the Legacies of Jazz Icons.”
The Kennedy Center in D.C., with the National Endowment for the Arts, will be streaming a tribute concert on April 26.
Heading west to Arizona:
Jazz Day AZ video notes:
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening of music, culture and community as the Scottsdale Jazz Festival returns on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Scottsdale Civic Center.Now in its 14th year, the Scottsdale Jazz Festival aligns with UNESCO’s International Jazz Day, this time paying a special tribute to legendary musician and producer Quincy Jones, who died in November. Organized under the visionary leadership of William “Doc” Jones, the festival continues to cement Scottsdale’s reputation as a vibrant cultural destination.“Several years ago, at the request of the legendary Herbie Hancock, I founded the Scottsdale Jazz Festival to support UNESCO’s International Jazz Day,” Jones said. “Our mission has always been clear: to unite our state around this incredible genre and celebrate its rich history and cultural significance.”The Arizona Legislature has officially proclaimed April as Jazz Appreciation Month and recognized April 30 as International Jazz Day.
In Los Angeles:
Third News reports:
Los Angeles is set to come alive with music as Metro Art collaborates with KJazz 88.1 FM to bring back the KJazz Tracks concert at Union Station on April 5, 2025. This event marks the kickoff of Jazz Appreciation Month, celebrating the vibrant culture and artistry of jazz with a free, public concert held in the station’s historic Ticket Concourse from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM.
The concert will feature the headlining act, Kiefer Trio, along with performances from talented supporting artists Salami Rose Joe Louis and David Binney Action Trio. This exciting lineup promises a night filled with refreshing tunes and cultural connection, showcasing the rich diversity of jazz music.
For our friends and jazz fans in the U.K.:
In case you missed some of the earlier Jazz Appreciation Month posts in this series, here are links:
I hope you have plans to listen to some live jazz this month and join the annual celebration. Please let us know in the comments section below what’s going on in your area.
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