April is Jazz Appreciation Month — or JAM — a nationwide invitation to discover America’s foremost improvised musical style.

How It Started


JAM was launched in 2001 by Dr. John Edward Hasse at the Smithsonian, with funding from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. His belief was simple: “Hardly anybody says, ‘I hate jazz.’ But a lot of people will tell me, ‘I don’t know jazz’... If you expose people to jazz, most will find things to like”. Today it’s celebrated in all 50 states and over 40 countries, wrapping up each year with International Jazz Day on April 30.

Why It Matters
Jazz is a musical conversation between band members built on improvisation, rhythm, and swing. It’s distinctly American but resonates globally. JAM isn’t about being an expert. It’s a doorway. For longtime fans, it’s a nudge to catch a live set or revisit a classic. For newcomers, it’s a no pressure way to start listening.

4 Ways to Join JAM This Month

1. Press play on the essentials
The National Endowment for the Arts suggests Carla Bley’s Life Goes On for something contemplative or John Coltrane’s Olé for a Spanish-inflected journey with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner. OUP’s JAM playlist adds Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing,” Ella Fitzgerald’s “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is another perfect entry point.

2. Read the stories
OUP’s JAM reading list includes 12 key titles, starting with Ricky Riccardi’s Stomp Off, Let’s Go on Louis Armstrong. The NEH virtual bookshelf highlights The Jazz Ambassadors documentary about Cold War jazz diplomacy and The Jazz Loft with photos of Monk, Mingus, and Bill Evans.

3. Learn or play
NAfME runs JAM resources for all levels, from Building Your Jazz Program at Any Level to Improv 101 and Beyond: Blues, Bebop, and Vocal Improv. JAM is meant to encourage people to study the music and read books about jazz.

4. See it live
The whole point is to get people to attend concerts and support local venues. Check All About Jazz’s “Jazz Near You” for daily gigs. The Parliamentary Jazz Awards just named Digbeth Jazz the 2025 Jazz Venue of the Year. April 30 is International Jazz Day, with events worldwide.

This year’s thread: Jazz and Justice
JAM often ties to a theme. The Smithsonian has spotlighted how jazz intersects with civil rights, from Norman Granz using Jazz at the Philharmonic to raise money for Hispanic youth after the L.A. “zoot suit riots” to the 2024 theme of Jazz and Justice.

You don’t need to know bebop from hard bop to take part. Pick one album, one book, or one local show this April.

Who was the first artist that made you stop and really listen to jazz?

On my travels again. Going to Brighton to see my brother.

It's a sunny day but just 12C, so a little chilly.

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If your town or city could host one Olympics event, in which the whole town would watch, what would it be?

If you had to teach a 20 year old one 'life hack' what would it be?

If you walked into your favourite shop and you were offered a freebie, what would it be?

Another fine sunny day, but not warm enough for sunbathing.

Picked up some cheap vinyl at a boot fair as well. These will either go into the collection or resold on Discogs or Vinted

I am currently listening to Radio 6 Music.

Although it was Record Store Day on Saturday I did not participate.

I usually wait to see when the vinyl for RSD gets reduced, and only if I fancy the item,

I will probably visit the shop and a couple weeks time.

Or Why Doing Less Means Living More

In a world that celebrates hustle, choosing to relax feels almost rebellious. But rest isn’t wasted time. It’s where the good stuff happens.

Your brain gets its best ideas off the clock.

Solutions show up in the shower or on a slow walk. Relaxing switches you from “grind mode” to “creative mode.” Insight can’t be scheduled.

Your body keeps the score.


Tight shoulders, shallow breathing, that 3pm crash. They’re receipts for borrowed energy. A proper break lets your nervous system cash them in. Ten minutes with a cuppa and no phone. That’s maintenance, not laziness.

Small joys get louder.

When you’re rushing, you miss things. The kettle clicking off. Evening light in the garden. The first page of that book. Relaxing turns the volume up on ordinary moments.

Three easy ways to actually unwind today:

The 5-minute reset: Sit down, feet on the floor, breathe. No podcast, no scrolling.
Single-task something: Make tea, water the plants, stare out the window.
Bookend your day: Protect the first and last 15 minutes. No news, no inbox.

Relaxing isn’t quitting. It’s refueling. You’ll meet the world again with a clearer head and a steadier heart.

So go on. Put your feet up for a bit. You’ve earned it.

It was a day of total relaxation. Whilst the weather was very sunny it was decimated by a cold wind.

For most of the day I was reading a book,or listening to the radio.

I did watch the last episode of Grace in the current season.

Had pizza for dinner.