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Image via InternationalJazzDay
The White House hosted the International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert yesterday, and the event featured performances from Herbie Hancock Esperanza Spalding, Buddy Guy, Sting, and a host of others, including Aretha Franklin, who sang a powerful rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”
President Barack Obama introduced the event, and he shared an entertaining anecdote about jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie:
In 1964, Dizzy Gillespie ran for President. This is a true story. He said, When I am elected president of the United States, my first executive order will be to change the name of The White House to The Blues House. So tonight, we’re going to do right by Dizzy: We are turning this place into The Blues House. And before anybody calls this executive overreach or some sort of power grab, I want to clarify that I did not issue a new executive order. I just invited all my favorite jazz musicians to play in my backyard, which is one of the great perks of the job.
Watch Aretha Franklin’s performance, beginning at the 1:14:18 mark, and Obama’s speech, below
