With International Jazz Day around the corner, today we’ll talk a bit about jazz, its rich history, and the story behind International Jazz Day. And, of course, we’ll also take a look at some jazz-related stamps.
Jazz began in the late 19th and early 20th century in New Orleans, where African, Caribbean, and European musical traditions mixed together. It grew from blues, ragtime, spirituals, and marching band music, creating a new style full of rhythm, emotion, and improvisation. Jazz started partly because musicians wanted more freedom to express themselves and create something lively, personal, and new. In the early years, Louis Armstrong became one of its most important stars, helping turn jazz into a major art form.
Duke Ellington
USA - 1986
Other key figures included Duke Ellington, known for his rich big-band sound, and Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, who became two of jazz’s greatest voices. Over time, jazz spread around the world and inspired many new styles, but its roots remained in creativity, feeling, and musical freedom.
Billie Holiday
USA - 1994
Today, jazz is played and loved all around the world, from small clubs to major concert halls and international festivals. It has influenced many other styles of music, including rock, pop, soul, funk, and hip hop. Modern jazz artists continue to mix traditional jazz with new sounds, showing that the genre is still creative and evolving.
International Jazz Day, celebrated each year on April 30, helps honor jazz as a global art form that brings people and cultures together. It all started in 2011. Let’s see what Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz says about it.
Louis Armstrong
USA - 1995
“In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. International Jazz Day is chaired and led by the UNESCO Director General and legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman of the Institute. The Institute is the nonprofit charged with planning, promoting and producing this annual celebration.
International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact; raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding; and reinforce international cooperation and communication. Each year on April 30, this international art form is recognized for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures and respect for human rights and human dignity; eradicating discrimination; promoting freedom of expression; fostering gender equality; and reinforcing the role of youth in enacting social change.” - hancockinstitute.org
When jazz first began to appear on stamps, the musicians chosen were some of the greatest names in the history of the genre. One of the earliest major U.S. examples was Duke Ellington in 1986, followed by Nat “King” Cole in 1994 and Louis Armstrong in 1995. Later, postal issues also honored Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, showing how widely respected jazz had become. These stamps did more than celebrate famous performers — they also helped preserve jazz as part of cultural memory. For stamp collectors, they remain a fascinating link between music history and philately.
Ella Fitzgerald
USA - 2007
Today we’ve talked a bit about jazz, and we’ve mentioned why we celebrate International Jazz Day. While you wait for the next article, please check out some of the previous articles.
Celebrities on Stamps: Bob Dylan
Celebrities on Stamps: David Bowie
Celebrities on Stamps: Pink Floyd
Celebrities on Stamps: The Rolling Stones
Celebrities on Stamps: John F. Kennedy
Celebrities on Stamps: Clint Eastwood
Celebrities on Stamps: Marilyn Monroe
Celebrities on Stamps: Paul McCartney
Celebrities on Stamps: Judy Garland
