Jamaica marks International Jazz Day with concert at Ranny Williams Centre

Jamaica is once again lending its voice to International Jazz Day, with a concert set for Thursday, April 30, at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Hope Road. The free-spirited art form will take centre stage as the island links up with the worldwide push to celebrate jazz and the values it represents.

The event is being staged through a partnership between the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, UNESCO, and the Jamaica Music Museum (JaMM), with the doors set to open for a 7:00 pm start at the venue at 36 Hope Road.

Music lovers can expect a strong bill of homegrown and overseas players. Among those scheduled to perform are New York-based multi-instrumentalist Mike McGinnis, pianist Dennis Rushton, bassist Dale Haslam, and the JaMM Big Band, with vocalist Tony Gregory featuring as special guest.

Observed annually on April 30, International Jazz Day highlights the genre's role in advancing peace, cross-cultural dialogue, diversity, gender equality, freedom of expression, and respect for human rights and dignity, while standing against discrimination. The day also closes out Jazz Appreciation Month, a month-long focus throughout April on the music's rich legacy.