JAZZ DAY: At Home Producer / Director Theater Mode
When this year’s Jazz Day concert in Capetown was cancelled due to Covid 19, we quickly switched gears to produce a virtual event to tribute the frontline workers. This year’s first ever virtual UNESCO event was hosted by Herbie Hancock from his home in LA and included contributions from friends all across the globe including Madeline Albright, Morgan Freeman, Angelique Kidjo, Forest Whitaker and UNESCO Secretary General Audrey Azoulay. With hundreds of musical submissions, IJD at home featured live “at home” performances with John McLaughlin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Lizz Wright, Charlie Puth, Cecile Mcloren Savant, Marcus Miller, John Beasley, Jane Monheit, Lang Lang and more. Highlights included archival performances by Stevie Wonder, Dianne Reeves, Hugh Masakela, Esperanza Spalding and Aretha Franklin from previous years Jazz Day celebrations in Australia, Russia, Cuba, France, Japan, Turkey and The White House .
The 90 minute concert crowned a daylong series of free educational masterclasses, children’s activities and discussions offered via web conference and Facebook Live. Find out more at jazzday.com and hancockinstitute.org.
Produced with The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and Doug Biro at Hudson River Films.