Jazz great Herbie Hancock is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) jazz ambassador. Last month Hancock announced the line up for the 15th annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert. A Northern Illinois University associate professor is on the list.
Bobby Broom is an educator, composer and guitarist. He’s also the host of WNIJ’s Jazz Spectrum. He said hearing Hancock’s song “Chameleon” was a huge reason he kept exploring the music genre when he was younger.
“This was ’75 or six," he said, "and I went, ‘Oh, they're saying that's jazz. Oh, that's jazz. Oh, if that's jazz, then maybe I do like jazz. So, I, you know, I pursued it because of that. And there was another record, a Grover Washington, Jr. record, that, if not for those things, I don't know.”
Broom said he’s watched performances for International Jazz Day on television over the years, but he never imagined he would be one of the performers.
“Certain people always get picked to do certain things," he said, "and I don't see myself as one of those people. Until now. So, it's really a beautiful thing. It really, really is, and it's kind of like recognition, like, ‘Yeah, dude, you're one of us. So that's great for me.’”
The 15th annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert will take place on Apr. 30 at venues throughout Chicago.
