The UNESCO Creative City of Music-KC is sponsoring the International Jazz Day celebration at the Black Dolphin.

All events are free and open to the public.

 Across the globe, millions of people will be celebrating the genre and Kansas City holds a special place in past and recent history when in 2017, it became the ONLY city in the United States to become a UNESCO designated City of Music.

“It is important to note that while Kansas City has one of the most thriving music scenes in the country, in part, we won this designation because of the JAZZ heritage we helped to nurture world-wide” said Anita J. Dixon, coordinator of the UCCN-Creative City KC.

In December of 2018, the Black Dolphin was designated the first official venue of the UNESCO City of Music-KC and will host the invitational Jam Session which will be filmed and shared with all the UNESCO Creative Cities of Music internationally.  “Kansas City has a core of hard-working jazz musicians who deserve greater international exposure. Participation in this event will help our team to promote local musicians to a global audience through the UCCN Network.” Jacob Wagner, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Design, UMKC.

The day’s activities are as follows:

Creative Economics Workshops and Speakers: 3pm to 5pm: Two hours will be invested in speakers from the American Federation of Musicians International Representatives, B.A.C., an instrument crafts company in Kansas City to discuss the economics of having the right tools of the trade and for the first time in American history, UNESCO Creative City of Music-KC will unveil the American Music Apprenticeship Program (AMAP), the FIRST such apprenticeship registered with the United States Department of Labor.

UNESCO City of Music Invitational Jazz Jam Session: 6pm to 10pm