Happy International Jazz Day, friends! The holiday started off with a launch concert at UNESCO HQ in Paris on April 27 (view above) and a sunrise concert today from Congo Square in New Orleans. We are beyond enthused to share that the conclusion of these worldwide events will be held in New York City!

The epic sunset concert will be tonight, April 30, at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in NYC with George Duke serving as Musical Director. The co-hosts of the event will include Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Quincy Jones. The event will be streamed live.

Confirmed are legends upon legends, many with whom we’ve worked with closely: Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Candido, Ron Carter, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robert Cray, Eli Degibri, Jack DeJohnette, Sheila E., Jimmy Heath, Hiromi, Zakir Hussain, Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Joe Lovano, Romero Lubambo, Shankar Mahadevan, Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela, Christian McBride, Danilo Pérez, Tineke Postma, Dianne Reeves, Troy Roberts, Bobby Sanabria, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and Tarek Yamani.

Event Details
International Jazz Day Sunset Concert

Monday, April 30
7:30PM

United Nations General Assembly Hall
New York, NY

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The fortunate of you have been knowing about Tall Black Guy Productions, a producer we had the honor of highlighting as our September Next Step winner. The rest of you have a bit of work to do, but don’t worry – we got you.

BamaLoveSoul just put out a free mixtape of “earlier works, remixes and lesser known tracks” from our dude. Behold! Lost Tapes by The Tall Black Guy. Enjoy remixes of Eric Roberson, Common, Camp Lo, and Coultrain, interspersed with original productions by the talented tall man as well. Good times.

Tall Black Guy Productions – Lost Tapes [Download on Hotfile]

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JMSN released his latest single “Alone” and its accompanying video today from his forthcoming album †Priscilla†, which will be dropping January 11th, 2012. The versatile JMSN directed, edited and starred in this eerie video, which was filmed by cinematographer Luis Panch Perez, who has had his fair share of graphic imagery. Perez shot the VMA nominated video for “Yonkers” by Tyler The Creator, which has a similar, unsettling outcome.

You can stream and download at SoundCloud:

JMSN – Alone (Produced by JMSN) by iamjmsn

You can check out the video after the jump.

It’s been too long since Gilles Peterson’s last trip to NYC’s clubland (January 2010 to be exact), so we’re pretty damn excited to pause last week’s show and head out to Cielo, tonight, to catch his rare New York set. Forgot to buy tickets in advance? No worries, we set some aside for purchase at the door, tonight, starting at 10 p.m.

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Giant Step is proud to present Gilles Peterson in his first NYC appearance in 18 months. Advance tickets are still available to catch the world renowned DJ on the FUNKTION-ONE soundsystem at Cielo, in NYC.

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This Monday, July 25th, Giant Step invites you to DJ Spinna’s debut at Le Bain at The Standard. So escape the heat and join us poolside starting at 9 p.m. to experience one of New York City’s finest DJs. Remember, RSVP is a must.

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Having recently released their debut album Midnight Feast Of Jazz, Nick Pride & The Pimptones and their Italy-based label, Record Kicks, are celebrating by giving you the opportunity to show off your production skills. DJs and producers, you’ve been comissioned: remix Nick Pride’s “Lay It On the Line” single and get the chance to have your work released on the upcoming Nick Pride & The Pimptones album, Midnight Feast Of Jazz Remixed. As the winner, you’ll also be included in the next volume of the Mo’ Record Kicks compilation, enjoy airplay on Italian national radio show “Popcorner” (Radio Rai 2), and score a bunch of RK releases!

For complete contest regulations and to download the song parts simply visit the contest page at Record Kicks. The stream of the original track is below. Good luck!

NICK PRIDE & THE PIMPTONES – Lay It On The Line feat. Zoe Gilby by Nick Pride &The Pimptones

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We at Giant Step are so excited about this release. Red Hot + Rio 2 is a musical compilation aimed at raising money for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Succeeding the original Bossa Nova inspired 1996 tribute, Red Hot + Rio, this release pays homage to the late 60’s Brazilian Tropicália movement and sheds “new light on the songs of this influential, politically charged era, which changed the culture of the country forever.”

Featuring over 33 original collaborations between legendary Brazilian musicians and other international talents, Red Hot + Rio 2 will leave you overwhelmingly content with its audible treats; this roster showcases many beloved musicians, including Madlib, Bebel Gilberto, Quadron, José Gonzalez, Alice Smith, Beck, Seu Jorge, and John Legend, amongst countless others.

more + listening party after the jump

In celebration of Record Store Day on April 16th, Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood family is setting up a very special pop up record shop. An avid record collector himself, Gilles knows all too well the buzz one gets from digging in the crates. So for one day only, the East London venue C.A.M.P gets a makeover by Brownswood resident visual artist Josephine Ade Chinonye Chime customizing the shop into a traditional African street fair with her elaborate illustration cut-outs and textile prints.

Here, fellow vinyl enthusiasts can browse to their hearts’ content through rare soul, jazz, groove, funk, and African records from Gilles’ favourite UK dealers and participate in special live auctions with generously donated finds from celebrity ‘fans’ including Thom Yorke, Erkyah Badu, Four Tet, Zane Lowe, Rob Da Bank, Jamie Cullum and more.

All record sale proceeds will go to the Steve Reid Foundation recently founded by Gilles Peterson to benefit struggling musicians with terminal illness. Entrance is free all day.

Location Details:
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Hours: 12 -6 p.m.
The C.A.M.P.
70-74 City Road London EC1Y 2BJ
Vinyl, Art, Café Lounge, and Special Guest DJs

2010 saw Cut&Paste scouring the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America for the ultimate champion in each of these stops. Now they are bringing more than 30 winners from across the world to Webster Hall in New York City and pitting them against each other to reveal the ultimate winner of the Cut&Paste Global Championship. The mouse clicking will commence on Saturday, April 16th, at 7pm. As a special offer to our community, we are giving a lucky winner a chance to snag one pair of tickets to this ultimate design battle.

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