International Jazz Day in Arizona · Since 2013
UNESCO and Herbie Hancock launched International Jazz Day worldwide in 2012. Arizona’s celebrations began in 2013 — bringing the flavor of New Orleans to Arizona every April.
Music Education in Arizona
Music education can change a young person’s life. Across Arizona, talented young people are discovering the power of music—in classrooms, community programs, and through dedicated educators and professional musicians.
But access to those opportunities is not equal across our state.
The Challenge
Across Arizona, access to music education varies greatly from one community to another. Schools and educators face limited funding, aging instruments, fewer programs, and a lack of resources.
A young person’s opportunity to experience music should not depend on their ZIP code or their family’s ability to pay.
Coming April 2027
Uniting Arizona through jazz. The spirit of the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival travels north for Jazz Appreciation Month — kicking off in Prescott on April 26, 2027, then Sedona and Flagstaff, with Doc Jones, The Nayo Jones Experience and special guests.
Click a city on the poster for event details
Who We Are
Mission: The International Jazz Day AZ Foundation exists to support music teachers first—because when teachers are supported, students thrive.
Arizona’s International Jazz Day celebrations began in 2013, and the Foundation was established in 2015 to carry them forward. Through festivals, concerts, cultural partnerships and education programs, we celebrate jazz as a universal language — and invest in the teachers and young musicians who will carry it into the future.
Our History
UNESCO launched International Jazz Day worldwide in 2012, championed by Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock. Arizona held its first celebration in 2013, and in 2015 the International Jazz Day AZ Foundation was established to bring Arizona together every April to celebrate jazz as a universal language.
“Bringing the Flavor of New Orleans to Arizona”
2012
UNESCO and Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock hold the first International Jazz Day on April 30, 2012.
2013
Doc Jones leads Arizona’s first celebration of International Jazz Day.
2015
The International Jazz Day AZ Foundation is established to carry the celebrations forward and support music education.
2019
The Arizona Legislature passes HCR 2017, recognizing April as Jazz Appreciation Month and April 30 as International Jazz Day in Arizona.
2026
International Jazz Week in Scottsdale and Phoenix marks the 15th International Jazz Day. SB 1255, which proposed an annual Arizona Jazz Day in state law, was introduced but did not pass.
2027
The Northern Arizona Jazz Tour kicks off in Prescott on April 26, then continues to Sedona and Flagstaff.
Upcoming
Scottsdale, AZ
The kickoff of our 2027 Jazz Appreciation Series with America’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer recipient Charity Lockhart, her brother — saxophonist Jermaine Lockhart — and special guests.
Event detailsNorth Scottsdale, AZ
An evening of Cuban jazz, cigars, wine and conversation supporting the Molina School of Music in Havana, Cuba. Venue and date coming soon — join the RSVP list.
Event detailsEducation & Community
From Arizona classrooms to Havana, Cuba — our celebrations support teachers, students and cultural exchange.
Arizona
Music instruction, mentoring, workshops and performance opportunities for young musicians in grades 5–12.
Education programsHavana, Cuba
Our International Jazz Day AZ Havana collaboration operates under the umbrella of the Orozco Contemporáneo Cultural Art Center — supported by Viva Havana Night in North Scottsdale.
About the partnershipFrom our title sponsor, Yrēfy
Yrēfy specializes in delinquent and defaulted private student loans.
Information provided by Yrēfy. The International Jazz Day AZ Foundation is not a lender and does not provide financial advice.
YES! Yrefy is not your traditional lender, credit decisions are not made solely on credit score. Yrefy understands that having delinquent or defaulted private education loans can have a negative impact to your credit score. Therefore, we look at other factors unique to each borrower’s and co-borrower’s financial situation, we finance customers with low credit scores.
Due to high demand, we recommend calling for immediate service and rate quotes.
Call (888) 807-2557Tell them Doc Jones sent you
Podcast
Interviews and conversations on jazz, music education and Arizona’s jazz community.
November 25, 2021
February 16, 2023
December 13, 2021
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Support the Teacher. Protect the Music.
The Roosevelt School District in South Phoenix closed five schools at the end of the 2024–25 school year. When schools close and budgets shrink, music educators are often the first to lose funding, time and stability — and students lose more than lessons.
Music teachers carry relationships, trust and continuity for students during times of change. That’s why our approach starts with educators: we invest in the people who already know the students, the communities and the music.
The Scottsdale Jazz Festival is more than a celebration — it is a funding engine for music education.
Produced by Yrēfy LLC & the International Jazz Day AZ Foundation, the festival reinvests ticket sales, sponsorships and partnerships into music teachers and student programs.
Join the conversation
How can students stay connected to music when their school closes or their program disappears? We’re bringing our team together to listen to educators and families and explore possible responses with community partners. Teachers, parents, school leaders, musicians, businesses and community organizations — we want to hear from you.
Every gift helps a music teacher keep teaching — and a student keep playing — when schools can’t.
