Unless you're completely in the unknown void outside of the jazz realm, then you know this month is the Smithsonian's own Jazz Appreciation Month.
And in association with the thinkinman's holiday, the Jazz Journalists Association will start a third annual JazzApril campaign, with culminates at UNESCO's International Jazz Day (April 30).
In 20 U.S. cities and Toronto, Canada, the jazz community and its activists will honor local heroes of the genre, topping people of extraordinary devotion and service as described by the JJA as "activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz."
Cities include The cities are Baltimore, the Bay Area (Oakland), Bloomington, Boston, Chicago, Columbia MO, Detroit, Durham NC, Hartford CT area, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Pittsburgh, Portland OR, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Schenectady, Tallahassee, Toronto, Washington DC, and Woodstock NY.
Oragnization and institutions including A Place for Jazz, The Art of Cool, Elastic Arts, JazzBoston, Jazz from Bloomington, Jazzstock, Kuumba Jazz Workshop, the Litchfield Jazz Festival, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, PDX Jazz Portland Jazz Festival, and Yoshi's are participating in JazzApril and the Jazz Heroes program.
According to a release, past honorees have included such professions as jazz club owners, health care providers, philanthropists, record company executives, arts administrators and musicians whose personal influences have gone beyond the sounds of their performances.
Honorees receive an engraved statuette, because this is better than the Grammys, and are awarded at public events.
For more information visit JazzApril's website.
To wit, here is very first International Jazz Day coming from the Francophiles out east.
