December 16, 2015
Dear Sir or Madam:
On April 30, 2016, the world will celebrate International Jazz Day in recognition of jazz as a force for peace, intercultural dialogue and cooperation.
In 2013, 2014, and 2015, organizers from over 190 countries produced a record number of events. This makes Jazz Day one of the fastest growing and most enthusiastically supported international days, with every single UNESCO member state and more and more private partners participating every year.

This letter certifies that Dr. William “Doc” Jones, his non-profit organization NextStudent Music Academy and his 504 Magazine has for the past three consecutive years been committed to annually producing International Jazz Day AZ Festival in Downtown Phoenix’s CityScape. Dr. Jones has had the full support of Phoenix Mayors Greg Stanton, the City Council, two former Arizona Governors, as well as the current Governor, Doug Ducey, and a number of powerful local organizations from the Festival’s inception. This year, he has the support of Phoenix Sister Cities, which lists over ten (10) counties under its umbrella as Phoenix’s Sister Cities. This affiliation alone will truly put Phoenix International Jazz AZ Festival on a global stage.

We encourage our partners to celebrate according to their own inclinations and resources, whether by producing a festival or concert, gathering musicians together for a jam session, meeting friends for a listening party, having a public discussion on jazz or petitioning their local government to officially recognize the day. We rely upon the voluntary participation of organizers around the world to make the international celebration of jazz possible.
To that end, we would be most appreciative if you would consider supporting this event. You can find more information on the day by visiting the official website: www.jazzday.com. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Herbie Hancock