“This Sunday is International Jazz Day. It’s a tradition that began in 2011, when UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — designated April 30 as a day for celebrating jazz around the world. This year’s primary International Jazz Day festivities will be held in Cuba, a place that, according to bassist and Jazz Night In America host Christian McBride, has played “a vital role in American music over the last five decades.”
In a conversation with NPR’s Audie Cornish, McBride discussed how Cuban musicians have helped to redefine jazz in the last half-century and shared some impressions from his latest trip to Cuba, where he performed at the Havana Jazz Festival. Hear their conversation at the audio link and read highlights below.“
