Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz

Thank you Wayne Shorter for sharing your incredible music with us all these years, and for your dedication to teaching and inspiring the next generation of musicians. We recall Wayne telling the students at the Institute of Jazz Performance to be “imaginative while soloing,” and to “create as much as possible within nothing.” Truly the words of a master musician! He was a giant in the music and we are forever grateful for his friendship and the generous sharing of his vast knowledge and wisdom with all of us.

Wayne Shorter: August 25, 1933 - March 2, 2023

The Institute joins the music world in mourning the loss of guitar master Russell Malone who died on Friday at the age of 60. He suffered a heart attack while on tour with the Ron Carter Trio in Japan.

A beloved member of the jazz community, Russell transformed the jazz landscape with his unique sound and passion for the guitar. Born in Albany, Georgia, to a musical family, he absorbed influences from blues, gospel, jazz and country music, which shaped his distinctive style. Watching George Benson perform on television solidified his dream of becoming a musician. His dedication and natural talent allowed him to develop his skills rapidly, setting the stage for his future success which included touring and recording with Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall, Sonny Rollins, Harry Connick, Jr, Monty Alexander and so many more as well as leading his own groups.

Russell Malone's influence on jazz is profound, and his contributions will resonate for generations to come.

Russell Malone: Nov 8, 1963 - Aug 23, 2024

Happy 25th 🎂🎊 to Jahari E. Stampley, 2023 winner of the our International Piano Competition with judges: Herbie Hancock, Orrin Evans, Bill Charlap , Danilo Perez and Hiromi. Later in the year, Jahari was named Chicagoan of the Year, and in 2024, he was part of the International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert.

Much congratulations to all those that placed in the 72nd annual DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll. Special congratulations to Charles Lloyd for entering the Downbeat Hall of Fame. Once again, Institute Chairman, Herbie Hancock was named Keyboardist of the Year, and Institute Vice President of Education and Curriculum Development, Dr. J.B. Dyas penned a most valuable and insightful article for any musician: "Jazz: A Way To Run Your Business, a Way To Lead to a Successful Life." In the article, J.B. says, "Being able to improvise, whether it be in music, business or anywhere else, is a huge plus, especially when things don't go according to plan."

The Institute's of Jazz Performance's Ensemble wrapped up the year performing in front of thousands at the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival this past weekend:

Sasha Ripley - tenor sax
Ebs Daramola- drums
Destiny Diggs - bass
Alden Hellmuth - alto sax
Miles Lennox - piano
Yakiv Tsvietinskyi - trumpet

what a wonderful year 🥰

We're excited to be performing this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl . What a lineup incl Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper Cory Henry, Brian Blade, Christian McBride and us:
Ebunoluwa Daramola - drums
Destiny Diggs-Pinto - bass
Alden Hellmuth - alto sax
Miles Lennox - piano
Sasha Ripley - tenor sax
Yakiv Tsvietinskyi - trumpet

Come join us!

Much gratitude ! The Institute's National program was a resounding success. We held informances, workshops and concerts at Toll Gate High School and Pilgrim High School in Warwick; Rogers High School in Newport and Classical High School and Hope High School in Providence, and culminating with a at The Blue Room RI in Cranston with our special guest educators/musicians; Don Braden and Lisa Henry.
National Peer-to-Peer students:
Lucas Rivero, trumpet (Miami)
Nathan Tatsuta, piano (Santa Ana, CA)
Julian Frazier, drums (Baltimore)
Nigel Valley, guitar (New Orleans)
Bishesh Paudel, trombone (Houston)
Laesio Littlejohn, bass (Dallas)

Please join us in wishing the incomparable Dee Dee Bridgewater a very joyous birthday. We are very proud Dee Dee serves as a member of the Institute's Board of Trustees. She received the 2018 Maria Fisher Founder’s Award in recognition of her longtime contributions to the Institute and jazz education, including; serving as a judge for four International Vocals Competitions, participating in numerous Institute galas and International Jazz Day celebrations, teaching at the Institute’s college program, and co-leading our educational tours around the world.

For decades, she has used her extraordinary talents to inspire and uplift people the world over. A recipient of multiple Recording Academy / GRAMMYs Awards, a Tony Award, a Doris Duke Foundation Award, and an NEA Jazz Master honor–among numerous others–she has also been recognized for her work and commitment to building a food-secure world for current and future generations, as a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations

We're having an time in with our Institute's National Peer-to-Peer students: Nathan Tatsuta (piano) - Santa Ana, CA; Laesio Littlejohn (bass) - Dallas; Lucas Rivero (trumpet) - Miami; Bishesh Paudel (trombone) - Houston; Julian Frazier (drums) - Baltimore; Nigel Valle (guitar) - New Orleans. Today we were at Pilgrim HS in Warwick feat. Don Braden and Lisa Henry

Kick off your memorial day weekend with a jam session from 5 -7pm at The Blue Room RI on Friday May 24 featuring our students + Don Braden and Lisa Henry.

"We’ve found that sometimes young people can learn about certain things better from kids their same age, and one of them is jazz,” says Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock. “And when you hear how accomplished these musicians are at such a young age, you know their peers are going to listen.”

Kicking off our second week of our Peer-to-Peer informances, workshops and concerts (May 20-24) we'll be at public schools in Warwick, Newport and Providence, Rhode Island. Featuring saxophonist Don Braden and vocalist Lisa Henry, the members of the all-star sextet selected nationwide to participate in this tour include trumpeter Lucas Rivero (17) from Miami; trombonist Bishesh Paudel (18) from Houston; guitarist Nigel Valle (17) from New Orleans, pianist Nathan Tatsuta (17) from Santa Ana, CA; bassist Læsio Littlejohn (17) from Dallas; and drummer Julian Frazier (18) from Baltimore.

“This will actually be my second tour with Mr. Braden,” said Frazier, who toured with him last year for the Institute’s peer-to-peer tour in Arkansas, one of 44 states benefiting from this program since 2005. “That tour really inspired me to get serious and focused.”

Many thanks to the City of Laramie and the City of Cheyenne, Wyoming for a wonderful week of workshops, informances and concerts with the Institute's National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Quintet: (l-r) saxophonist Quinn Rehkemper (Baltimore); bassist Mia Desalos (Houston); vibraphonist Wanye Williams (Chicago); pianist Taylor Lee (Los Angeles); drummer Enzo Pulley (Miami), and featuring guest artists; trumpeter Terell Stafford and vocalist Lisa Henry.

From May 20-24, another six of our National Peer-to-Peer talented students will talk and perform with their Rhode Island peers featuring Don Braden and Lisa Henry.

The Institute's National Peer to Peer students alongside internationally acclaimed artists Terell Stafford and Lisa Henry were met with great enthusiasm at the concerts and workshops at the Rock River High School and Laramie High School in Wyoming. Thank you for helping make this program possible, City of Laramie

📷 Owen Schildt

TONIGHT! Please join us at the World Stage for a performance of original music followed by a jam session. Bring your horn and play!

World Stage ()
All ages
Live set: 8pm - 8:45pm
Jam session: 9pm - 11pm

Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble at UCLA Class of 2025:music | alto saxripley | tenor sax
| trumpet
| piano
| bass
| drums

The Institute s Peer-to-Peer jazz education programs in Wyoming kick off today May 13 and run through May 17 in public schools in Albany and Laramie Counties. Combining performance with educational information, these “informances” will be presented by the Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Quintet, comprising of five of the country’s most gifted high school music students. They will be featured alongside internationally acclaimed trumpet recording artist , Kansas City jazz and blues vocalist and a former winner of the Institute’s International Jazz Vocals Competition , and renowned jazz educator Dr. JB Dyas. Each school visit includes an assembly program featuring a musical performance for all students, followed by workshops for each school’s jazz band and choir with the visiting student performers playing alongside and sharing ideas with their Wyoming counterparts.

“We’ve found that sometimes young people can learn about certain things better from kids their same age, and one of them is jazz,"said Institute Chairman, Herbie Hancock, “And when you hear how accomplished these musicians are at such a young age, you know their peers are going to listen.”

Besides playing jazz at a level that belies their years, the students will talk with their Wyoming peers about what jazz is, why it’s important to America, and how a jazz ensemble represents a perfect democracy. They also will discuss the important American values that jazz represents: teamwork, unity with ethnic diversity, the correlation of hard work and goal accomplishment, perseverance, and the importance of finding a passion early in life, being persistent, and believing in yourself. When young people hear this important message from kids their same age, they are often more likely to listen.

The members of the high school all-star quintet selected nationwide to participate in the Wyoming tour include saxophonist Quinn Rehkemper from Baltimore; vibraphonist Wanye Williams from Chicago; pianist Taylor Lee from Los Angeles; bassist Mia Desalos from Houston; and drummer Enzo Pulley from Miami.

Lead funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts and United Airlines.

We’re have an adventure for in

The International Jazz Day official poster is here and available for download. Display it proudly at your school, event, home, city, stores, and in your stories about your activities for International Jazz Day, celebrated in more than 190 countries on April 30, culminating in the All-Star Global Concert from our host city of Tangier, Morocco.
https://jazzday.com/participate/logos/

The Institute and UNESCO co-produce International Jazz Day

7:30 ET April 13, we will be streaming right here, the National Endowment for the Arts Masters program with tributes and performances for each of the inductees. Congratulations!

2024 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert The National Endowment for the Arts, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will celebrate the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters at a ...

Wishing a very happy 84th birthday to Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock. We are thankful to have Herbie's inspiring leadership and vision for making a positive difference in the world through music.

© Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz/Steve Mundinger

Alumnus Spotlight 🌟Congratulations to Class of 2023 bassist Emiliano Lasansky for winning this year’s Ravinia Bridges Composition Competition for his piece “Boxes in the Attic”. He’ll have the opportunity to workshop his composition with renowned musicians Steve Wilson, Rufus Reid, and Institute Composition Artist-in-Residence Billy Childs which will premiere in Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall later this year. We are very proud of your highly distinguished award!

The Institute in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education will present our peer-to-peer jazz informance on April 10, featuring the Institute’s Peer-to-Peer Jazz Quintet. Hosted by the US Department of Education with remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, the “informance” – a combination of performance and educational information – will be presented by gifted music students from , , and public high schools. They will be accompanied by internationally acclaimed jazz trumpeter, Sean Jones and renowned jazz educator Dr. JB Dyas. The informance will be held at the Potomac Center Plaza in Washington, DC, beginning at 1 PM ET. The jazz on April 10 will be streamed worldwide by registration here: https://bit.ly/3IYsN48 Registration is open now.

The 2024 edition of International Jazz Day will be celebrated in more than 190 countries on April 30. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock are pleased to announce that the city of Tangier, Morocco will serve as the Global Host and will anchor the International Jazz Day programs around the world.

Presented in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Morocco and the City of Tangier, the four-day celebration (April 27-30) will emphasize the city’s jazz heritage and highlight cultural and artistic ties between people in Morocco, Europe and Africa. A series of programs will include events for students of all ages, a special presentation showcasing the significance of Morocco’s Gnawa music and its connection with jazz, and conversations about the history of jazz and its impact on Tangier, among others. A culminating All-Star Global Concert at the beautiful, new Palace of Arts and Culture of Tangier – an architectural masterpiece – will be broadcast via YouTube, Facebook, JazzDay.com, the United Nations and UNESCO to millions of viewers worldwide.

Music enthusiasts can look forward to legendary figures of jazz, blues and beyond electrifying the city of Tangier – and screens throughout the world. Led by iconic pianist Herbie Hancock and Musical Director John Beasley (USA), the All-Star Global Concert will feature performances by an international roster of artists from all corners of the globe, including master Gnawa musician Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco).

International Jazz Day has become a global movement reaching more than 2 billion people annually on all continents through education programs, performances, community outreach, radio, television and streaming, along with electronic, print and social media. The Institute is the lead organization charged with planning, promoting and producing International Jazz Day each year.

Visit jazday.com to learn more.

Much congratulations to Kris Bowers on receiving The Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for "The Last Repair Shop," along with Ben Proudfoot. In his acceptance speech he said, "Music education isn't about creating incredible musicians - it's about creating great human beings."

Bowers won the Institute's International Piano Competition in 2011 where he met Aretha Franklin. "She came to the semifinals," Bowers recalls. "It was one of the only times I felt speechless in my life. She told me she enjoyed my playing, and then asked for my information." Franklin's publicist became Bowers' first agent, and landed him his first film scoring gig. He had always planned on touring as a jazz pianist before transitioning into his dream of being a film composer, but Ms. Franklin, and the universe, had other plans.

Bowers has also participated in several International Jazz Day Global Concerts including in 2016 at the White House hosted by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, and in 2021 as part of the education programs, he was in conversation with Institute Chairman & UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock on Jazz on the Screen which you can still watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU9jTKxwNv0&t=1202s

The Institute's Jazz Performance Ensemble is back at Sam First next Wed (2/28) at 9:30 PDT and will be worldwide. Tickets for in-person or stream: bit.ly/48n507X

Wonderful cover story in DownBeat Magazine on Ambrose Akinmusire, our Artistic Director of Jazz Performance at UCLA