Well here’s some good news. Toronto has a new education and advocacy group, the ”Art of Jazz”. Further, the group has announced its festival event the ”Art of Jazz Celebration” will be held in Toronto May 17 – 21, 2006.

Founded by a group of jazz musicians and educators, the not for profit organization will will present an annual 5 day event, paying tribute to Canadian and International Jazz Masters. The 2006 event will honour the great bebop pianist Barry Harris, and Canadian multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson.

For more information visit artofjazz.org

Tribute to Barry Harris
Thursday May 18, 2006
Toronto / Canada
Hank Jones, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Slyde, Earl May and Leroy Williams

Tribute to Don Thompson
Friday May 19, 2006
Toronto, Canada
Jim Hall, Dave Holland, John Handy, Phil Dwyer and Terry Clarke

April is Jazz Appreciation Month in the United States, and an occasion to explore the history of and current developments in the world of jazz.

Two webchats with leading jazz scholars and broadcast personalities will afford audiences prime opportunities to discuss the world of jazz. On April 3 at 11:00 a.m. EST (1500 GMT), Becca Pulliam, producer of such National Public Radio broadcasts as Jazz Set with Dee Dee Bridgewater and the annual Toast of the Nation New Year’s Eve national broadcast will field questions on “Jazz in the New Millennium,” and other jazz-related topics.

On April 20 at 11:00 a.m. EST (1500 GMT), Sheila Anderson, host of the Late Night Jazz broadcast on station WBGO-FM in Newark, New Jersey, and www.wbgo.org, that station’s Web site, and the author of Quotable Musician: From Bach to Tupac (2003) and How to Grow As A Musician: What all Musicians Must Know To Succeed (2005), will chat on “Jazz on the Radio: Playing Music for the Masses,”and related topics.

Find out more at allaboutjazz.com or usinfo.state.gov