Redhouse Jazz

This month at Yoshi's

2006-05-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

There is a strong showing of local artists playing at Yoshi's this month.

A native of Brazil, vocalist Celia Malheiros plays tonight, May 1. I really know nothing about her but I know Mary Fettig is in the band playing flute.

Vocalist Natasha Miller sings from her new CD tomorrow night, Tuesday, with another handful of bay area musicians.

Wednesday brings us the Jon Jang Seven. We saw this group at Monterey last year and I thought they were having more fun then anyone else we watched. Of course friends John Worley and Wayne Wallace will be there on trumpet and trombone.

The Northgate High School Jazz Band performs next Monday, May 15. I'm guessing this is the band from Walnut Creek and not a hundred other Northgate bands I found on Google.

"Pianist, organist, composer and arranger" describes Tammy Hall on her web site. The list of influences and performance experience tells me this will be one fine show. Catch her on May 16.

Rebecca Mauleon has a CD release party on May 17 for Descarga en California. Rebecca always delivers a dynamic and passionate performance.

Opie Bellas vocalises on May 22.

The Mel Martin Quartet plays a Tribute to John Coltrane on May 23.

Get more details from the Yoshi's web site at yoshi's.com

The San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum

2006-04-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

We visited the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum last week to see the "Harlem of the West" exhibit (More about that in the next post) and discovered this little known resource. The name of the library says it all. It archives information on the history of the performing arts of San Francisco, from circuses to opera, a portion of which is online. You will find performance recordings, photographs and information on individuals, theatres and companies.

They display their collections in a series of galleries using the halls of the 4th floor surrounding the Herbst Theatre. Currently, one hall displays a history of theatre, which I know nothing about. The second hall is dedicated to an exhibition of photographs by Tom Zimberoff of 50 world renowned conductors. These dynamic black and white portraits capture the personalities of both the conductors and the photographer.

Another gallery documents the history of San Francisco in song, displaying original sheet music of any song that uses the city as a theme. The artwork of this old sheet music is captivating.

Gallery I is dedicated to the "Harlem of the West" exhibit (on view until June 10th) and features pictures from the book of the same name, a video and background music documenting the life and times of the people, the architecture and especially the jazz clubs of the post war Fillmore district. See my next post for more on this.

The Library and Museum are well hidden on the 4th floor of the Veteran's building at 401 Van Ness Ave in San Francisco. This is the same building that houses the Herbst Theatre, is next to the Opera House and across the street from City Hall. The old site of Kimball's is a block away (Lori and I had our first date there) as is Max's Opera Cafe and A Clean Well Lighted Place for Books, all favorite places to hang.

Open hours are limited, Wednesday to Friday from 11am to 5pm and Saturday from 1pm to 5pm. Check the web site for scheduled closures. If the lobby guard tells you the Library is closed, ignore them and look for yourself. The elevators are the only access to the 4th floor and only one of them may be unlocked to go that high. Try them both.

The Library is non profit and you can leave a donation if you like, but what they appreciate most is if you can contribute something real, from artifacts to identifying the many unknown people and places in their collection of photographs. Check it out, you will be glad you did and while you are there, stick your head in the Green Room on the second floor for a little eye candy. Maybe you've played a wedding there before.

Links:
SFPALM web site
Harlem of the West exhibit

Barry Wood's NAMM 06 Oddities

2006-04-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Unusual instruments seen at the 2006 NAMM show are chronicled at Barry Wood's NAMM '06 Oddities.

A bit of history...
After attending the Winter NAMM show for a number of years I've noticed that the exhibitors seem to fall into two categories: the established company showing their new (and sometimes vaporous) products; and the independent start-up company looking to be noticed by distributors, music stores, potential investors and the music press.

It seems that every year I spent more of my NAMM cruising time checking out the various small companies that all get stashed off in some side room. Many of the products from these companies are never seen the by the mainstream either because their potential market is too small, or most people simply can't figure out what the hell to do with it.

That isn't to say that these products are ill-conceived or poorly executed, it's just that sometimes they're, well, a little odd. This situation made me think that there ought to be a place for people to come marvel and wonder at all of these products, thus, the NAMM Oddities was born. -Barry

Link:

NAMM '06 Oddities

Jazz Camp West 2006

2006-04-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

It is time to sign up for the Jazz Camps again (here is last year's roundup). I just received the brochure for Jazz Camp West 2006 scheduled for June 24 - July 1 and wanted to mention that enrollment is limited. This camp is total immersion, living in cabins in the redwoods for the week with other musicians doing nothing but talking, listening and playing music.

I'll try and gather all the Bay Area camps together in one post again shortly.

Rhythmic Concepts proudly presents the 23rd annual Jazz CampWESTJazz CampWEST is an eight-day jazz immersion program for instrumentalists, vocalists, drummers and dancers held in the beautiful redwoods of La Honda in Northern California. The combination of workshops, personalized instruction, student performances, faculty concerts, late night jams, and beautiful surroundings with new friends and mentors creates an inspiring and memorable week.At Jazz Camp, 45 all-star faculty members and 250 participants of all ages, backgrounds and levels come together for a creative experience that is profoundly rewarding. The majestic setting mixed with musical immersion, inspiration, encouragement and support set the stage for magic at Jazz CampWEST.

Link:

Jazz Camp West 2006 web site

Inside Home Recording

2006-03-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled across the "Inside Home Recording" podcast which explores the world of recording music in your home. The program features James Devon and Paul Garay, two experienced recording musicians who speak casually yet very intelligently about hardware and software used by home recordists.

They dedicate segments to topics such as microphones, I/O devices, ear training, virtual pianos, interviews, reviews, recording techniques and they read and answer email questions. They explain terms without speaking down to their listeners or sacrificing details for commercial or time restraints.

They just began the show in October of last year and have about a dozen podcasts available with 20 to 25 planned for this year, truly a labor of love. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone building any level of home studio, which is very timely for me. I wish I knew more of their background which is something they might want to add to their blog.

You can subscribe and download the programs for free from their website or find them in the podcast section of the ITunes Music store, again, for free. Unbelievable. Thank you guys. Your work is greatly appreciated

Inside Home Recording web site

Robert Ullman

2006-03-30T23:01:00.000-08:00

Not San Francisco and not even jazz but you can view the fun cartoon art of Robert Ullman at http://ullman.lurid.com/index.html.

WorlView Blog

2006-03-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

John Worley has been updating his blog again. He talks in glowing terms about last Tuesday's Foothill College Contemporary Big Band concert in which, I'm told, he had some fine solos and a small rant about the dearth of places that such a heavy band like this has to perform in the bay area.

Scroll down his blog to February 12th to read his (and other's) thoughts about the closing of the BoAs jazz club in Cupertino.

John plays a lot of diverse and interesting bay area gigs and his blog is the place to read about them. Thanks John.

WorlView Blog

Mimi Fox

2006-03-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

Bay Area guitarist Mimi Fox is interviewed for a deservedly flattering article in last Sunday's SF Chronicle's Pink Section. (Photo by Raj Naik) It speaks of her new CD, "Perpetually Hip" and the CD release concert at Yoshi's on March 27th, her experiences with her record label, Favored Nations, her rising status as music educator both at the Jazz School in Berkeley and the New York University's jazz guitar studies program, her upcoming appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz and more.

MIMI FOX plays at 8 and 10 p.m. March 27 at Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $10-$14. (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com.
9 p.m. March 31 at E3 Playhouse, 435 Front St., Santa Cruz. $13-$15. (831) 466-9033, www.e3playhouse.com.
7 p.m. April 2 at Little Fox Theatre, 2209 Broadway, Redwood City. $14-$16. (650) 369-4119, www.foxdream.com.

SFGate Pink Section Article
Mimi Fox's web site

Rhoda Scott B3ist in the Bay Area

2006-03-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

I must confess that I do not know jazz organist Rhoda Scott, but then reading the article on her in last Sunday's Pink Section, not many others have heard of her either.

While revered by her B3 peers, Scott is largely unknown in the United States, an unheralded status explained by her almost four-decade residence in Paris. Some high-profile stateside gigs in recent years have helped let American audiences know what they've been missing. Under the auspices of San Jose Hammond B3 maven Pete Fallico, Scott hits Northern California for a series of performances this month, including Thursday and Friday at Jazz at Pearl's, Saturday at Copia in Napa and March 30 at Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz. She's working with her regular drummer Lucien Dobat, and will be joined at each concert by Kim Nalley on vocals.

I'm a sucker for jazz organ and I if I can fit her into my schedule, I'll write about it here.

Links:
SFGate Pink Section article
Rhoda Scott's web site
Jazz at Pearls
Copia
Kuumbwa Jazz Center
The Doodlin Lounge

Bay Area Jazz Podcasts

2006-03-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

If you go to the Podcast section of the ITunes Music Store and search for "Jazz" you will find a few free bay area based features.

One is titled "Jazz West Coast" is a video podcast and is "devoted to Jazz education with an emphasis on interviews." 2 interviews are available, an interview by Richard J. Newhouse, creator of JWC with Jazz DJ Arzell Johns and Herb Wong interviewing Bob Dorough.

Also look for "Radio Sausalito's Bay Area Jazz Spotlight" showcasing bay area musical talent and "Radio Sausalito's Brilliant Corners" featuring Poetry and Jazz.

Kitty Margolis on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

2006-03-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area's Kitty Margolis was on Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland last week, which I missed. There is a short bio and songs performed on Marian's web site.

Singer Kitty Margolis is a true California girl. Her family has been in the state for four generations, and her formative music experiences were shaped by the musical milieu of San Francisco in the 1960s.

I also found short podcasts of Piano Jazz supplied by NPR, updated on Tuesdays at 5 pm. You can subscribe here.

Links
Piano Jazz on Kitty
Piano Jazz Home
Kitty Margolis
NPR Piano Jazz Podcasts

Miles and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

2006-03-12T23:03:00.000-08:00

Miles Davis will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Monday night. There is an audio story on NPR's Morning Edtion with commentary on the web site about 3 albums that spanned the gap between jazz and rock.

When we hear the story of how Davis earned a place in the rock Hall of Fame, we learn something about the way popular music evolved into the songs we hear today. Steve Inskeep talks with music journalist Ashley Kahn, a regular contributor to Morning Edition and one of those who votes on Hall of Fame inductees, about how Davis spanned musical genres.

Links:
NPR's Morning Edition

Blogs are tough work

2006-02-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

It's a lot of work and a labor of love to keep a blog updated. Unfortunately, the reason I have neglected to write is not because there is not much going on, quite the contrary, it is just that my job is eating my time and brain. Please continue to check back as there is plenty to come.

Thanks for your patience,

Stuart

Primary Colors in the Mercury News and at BOAS

2006-01-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Today's Mercury News has an article/interview about/with the Bay Area jazz duo Primary Colors, Vocalist Nate Pruitt and guitarist Rick Vandivier. Here is an excerpt. (Photography from their CD cover by Mark Howell and Nader Shakernia)

Jazz combo stays flexible
VOCALIST, GUITARIST AT HEART OF PRIMARY COLORS
By Andrew Gilbert
Special to the Mercury News
The best jazz happens through an elaborate process of trial and error in which musicians explore various concepts while searching for an ideal blend of personalities and sounds. That was how guitarist Rick Vandivier and vocalist Nate Pruitt came to create Primary Colors, a flexible jazz combo that performs Saturday at BoAs Club Elite.
"We kind of experimented with different instrumentation, with two guitars or guitar and bass, or full rhythm section,'' Vandivier says. "Not only did we find that most of those things worked; we liked the variety.''

Primary Colors performs Saturday, January 14 at BoAs in Cupertino and March 5 at the Improv in San Jose for the San Jose Jazz Society's Sunday Series.

Links:
Mercury News Article
Primary Colors web site
BoAs Restaurant
San Jose Jazz Society

Noe Valley Music Series

2006-01-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

The Pink Section of today's Chronicle has an article on Larry Kassin's 25 year music series held at the Noe Valley Ministry. (Chronicle photo by Christina Koci Hernandez.)

In the interview, Larry talks of the beginnings, the artists that have started and performed there, his own music and why the series has remained what it is for so long.

With a capacity of 250, Noe Valley Ministry's rectangular, earth-tone sanctuary has played host to a mind-boggling array of artists, including the comedy troupe Culture Clash, accordionist-composer Pauline Oliveros, Warren Zevon, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, guitarist Bill Frisell, oud master Hamza El Din and Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser.
While he books numerous out-of-town acts, Kassin takes his responsibility as a community resource seriously, having discovered early on that the space could play a crucial role in an artist's creative life.

NOE VALLEY MUSIC SERIES: Ray Manzarek, Michael McClure and Larry Kassin perform at 8:15 p.m. Saturday at 1021 Sanchez St., San Francisco. $18-$20. (415) 454-5238. www.noevalleymusicseries.com.

Wild Bill Davison Centennial Celebration

2006-01-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

This writing is a little late for today's show at Freight and Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley but it is worth a mention.

Coronetist Wild Bill Davison would have been 100 this year and today's show celebrates his contributions to traditional jazz. Read about this Louis Armstrong contemporary in the links below.

Wild Bill, the man to whom Louis Armstrong once declared, "Bill, if anything ever happens to me, I know you can keep on doing what I'm doing," was born in Ohio on January 5, 1906. He built his career playing in Chicago nightspots during the roaring '20s, and in the '40s and '50s he joined Eddie Condon s famed house band in New York City, where he became known as a commanding front man and a brash, intense lead cornetist. Over the course of a career that spanned seven decades and 21 countries, Wild Bill recorded 800 songs and played with world-class jazz stars like Bix Beiderbecke, Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong. Join some of the Bay Area's top musicians and come swing to a tasty selection of the tunes Wild Bill loved, from impassioned ballads to full-steam-ahead, high-stepping romps.

Links:
Freight and Salvage
Google search for Wild Bill Davison

San Jose Jazz Society Sunday Concert Series

2006-01-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

This Sunday starts the 18th Annual Sunday Concert series presented by the San Jose Jazz Society and runs through March 26. The concerts will change venue this year as the St Claire is undergoing renovation. The new venue, The Improv, located at 62 South 2nd Street in downtown San Jose, will provide better sound and more seating, hopefully making it easier to get tickets.

The 12 concert series celebrates Bay Area musicians in a big way with Mary Stallings, Mark Levine, Kristen Strom, Clairdee and many more.

Links:
San Jose Jazz Society
The Improv

Ahmad Jamal at Yoshi's

2006-01-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Ahmad Jamal is already in the groove before he ever sits at the piano. The melody may have already come and gone before the song starts. It is not always clear where he is going next, even to the musicians playing with him.

Some of the things that make Ahmad different are the things that make him one of my favorite jazz pianists. Throw in his minor harmonies and his groove potential to round out the package.

You can watch Ahmad conduct his trio this week at Yoshi's, Wednesday through Sunday.

Links:
Yoshi's
Ahmad Jamal

Hot Club of San Francisco

2005-12-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

The Hot Club of San Francisco performs gypsy style jazz in the spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Always upbeat and swinging, I make it a point to see this band when I can.

They perform at Yoshi's, Tuesday, January 3.

Links:
Yoshi's
The Hot Club of San Francisco

David K. Mathews Quartet

2005-12-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area's David K. Mathews Quartet is having a CD release party at Yoshi's on Monday, January 2.

David Mathew on the Hammond B3
Barry Finnerty on guitar
Deszon Claiborne on drums
Mel Martin on saxophone

Links:
Yoshi's
David Mathew

"The Blues" - today's Wikipedia feature article

2005-12-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia had "The Blues" as their featured article on Wednesday. It is an extensive academic but interesting article with links to many blues references, pictures, music clips, web pages and some cool lyrics.

Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me,
Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me,
It may be sending you baby, but it's worrying the hell out of me.

The most interesting thing about Wikipedia is anyone can add or edit any information.

Below are links to the Blues article as well as the Jazz article and their listing of Jazz Musicians. Someone needs to add Gene Harris to the list.

Wikipedia Links:
Blues
Jazz
List of Jazz Musicians

Holiday CD releases from Bay Area Jazz Artists

2005-12-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

JazzWest.com has a list of recent CDs released by several Bay Area jazz artists featuring holiday music.

Link:
Jazzwest.com

Making a living at what you love

2005-12-20T22:50:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting article in Business section of last Sunday's Chronicle that talked about artists learning to be more business savvy, hopefully by not selling out. The idea for many musicians, painters, photographers, whatever, is to be able to perform their talent and make a living at it, it can only help their art and everyone is better for it. The article talks to Bay Area artists and lists some Bay Area educational business resources of which they have taken advantage. Included are 2 in-depth profiles, well, as in-depth as newspapers usually get.

Links:
Artists find that business strategies can help them succeed
Vineyard artist draws on her business savvy
Printmaker turns metal plates into gold

Clairdee Christmas Show at Yoshi's

2005-12-20T22:38:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area's own Clairdee performs what has become an annual event at Yoshi's in Emeryville on Christmas eve.

A party atmosphere surrounds vocalist Clairdee's fourth annual holiday concert at Yoshi's.Ê Adorned with ribbons of jazz, R&B, blues, and Latin jazz, Clairdee interprets classic songs that have been handed down by her favorite composers and lyricists such as Charles Brown, Sammy Cahn, Horace Silver, and Donny Hathaway.Ê Featuring selections from her acclaimed CD, This Christmas, as well as a few new surprises, Clairdee's Christmas is guaranteed to warm even a Grinch's heart and send him dancing into the New Year.
Joining Clairdee are Rich Armstrong on trumpet, percussion and vocals, Ron Belcher on bass, Deszon Claiborne on drums, Ken French and Jon Herbst on piano/keys, John Hoy on guitar and Melecio Magdaluyo on saxophone, flute and clarinet.
Saturday, December 24
8:00pm Show $16
10:00pm Show $8
Links:
Yoshi's
Clairdee's Web site

Jazz Vespers in Danville

2005-12-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

Peace Lutheran Church in Danville holds a jazz concert series, the second Sunday of the month in Danville, CA. An article in today's Chronicle talks with Ed Klitch, who produces the series and flutist John Calloway who performs this Sunday at 5 pm with his band Diaspora, featuring pianist Murray Low, bassist David Belove, drummer David Flores and trumpeter Mike Olmos.

Rather than focusing on material exploring religious themes, jazz vespers services give musicians the opportunity to perform in an environment conducive to intimate, soul-bearing communication.

Future Jazz at Peace concerts include the Dave Rocha Quartet on Jan. 8, the Anton Schwartz Quartet on Feb. 12 and pianist Paul Scheffert's trio on March 12.

Links:
SF Gate article
Jazz at Peace web site
Photo by Amanda Lopez

Automatic Human JukeBox - Grimes Poznikov

2005-12-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

If you ever visited Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square or nearby Aquatic Park during the 70's or 80's, you may have come across the Automatic Human JukeBox, a painted refrigerator box from which Grimes Poznikov would play a tune of your choosing on trumpet (or a dozen other instruments), the quality of which depended on the amount of money you inserted. (above photo via Deb Wong)

Mr. Poznikov died October 27, 2005 in San Francisco on a sidewalk under a freeway overpass.

World renowned, he has quite an interesting life story. From a little research on Google, I found that he studied piano and then trumpet in Kansas from the age of 5. He was very active in the anti war protests around the country in the 60's and 70's. He settled in San Francisco to pursue a career in music and created the Automatic Human JukeBox. He was a teacher at one point. He created the Society For the Advancement of Nonverbal Communication which I understand to represent his view of music on life.

There is quite a bit of information on the Internet (Google "Grimes Poznikov" and you get 109 hits) about his performances and how he lived under a grand piano in a homeless encampment and dealt with city evictions and stories by people that knew him as a child or dated his sister and references to The Wall Street Journal and Charles Kuralt, well you just have to read them yourself. So, here is a small list of web sites I found that contain details about all of the above and more and fascinating pictures both early and late.

SF Chronicle Obituary story
LUSENET thread on SF history (great personal stories here)
SF Chronicle indepth story on his homelessness
SF About blog article
Probable picture (check out the maracas in his shoes)
Picture Gallery
Article in the India Daily
BBC News
A copycat in Japan
A classmate remembers in the Chicago Tribune (a good long story)
eJazz News

Robert Greenberg

2005-12-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

Robert Greenberg is the music historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances and has lived in the Bay Area since 1978 and received a Ph.D. in music composition at UC Berkeley. From what I've read, he is a noted composer and captivating lecturer which brings me to the subject of this post.

Mr Greenberg will be giving a talk on the history of Blues, Jazz and Rock and Roll, "Illustrated with rare video and music clips" this Friday, December 9 at 7:15 in Herbst Theatre.

Links:
San Francisco Performances
Robert Greenberg at the Teaching company
Robert Greenberg at Besen Arts LLC

KPFA Crafts and Music Fair

2005-12-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

There are many craft fairs this time of year but for the most unusual and diverse juried crafts and excellent world music, I recommend the KPFA Crafts and Music Fair, December 10 and 11 at the Concourse, 8th and Brannan, San Francisco. $8.

They will feature their own Katrina Quilt Relief Project and have valet bicycle parking sponsered by S.F. Bicycle Coalition.

225 thoughtfully juried craftsmakers & artists show their best work in a warm and spirited ambiance, with natural foods from many cultures, exceptional international musicians performing live, and other spirit-bringers reflecting the Bay Area’s great diversity.

KPFA Craft Fair web site

The Blind Boys of Alabama

2005-12-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

Looking for original American inspirational religious music for your holiday? Check out the gospel sounds of The Blind Boys of Alabama along with The Fairfield Four as part of the San Francisco Jazz Festival, Saturday, December 10, 8pm at Masonic Center in San Francisco.

San Francisco Jazz Festival
Blindboys.com

Anna's Jazz Island

2005-12-01T00:40:00.000-08:00

Anna's Jazz Island in Berkeley supports local the Bay Area jazz scene and musicians. The club opened in May when the Chronicle wrote a most interesting article about Anna de Leon that talks about the club and traces her history from UCLA to a marriage to Taj Majal to Harvard University at 16 to being a foster parent to law school and president of the Berkeley Unified School District to activist lawyer, vocalist and to the Jazz Island, her third jazz club.

Read the article and support her club. I plan on checking it out this Sunday for Anton's gig.

Links:
San Francisco Chronicle article
Anna's Jazz Island web site

Anton Schwartz at Anna's Jazz Island

2005-12-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

Anton Schwartz has put together a killer one time show with Taylor Eigsti on piano, Peter Bernstein on guitar, John Shifflett on bass and Tim Bulkley on drums, a worthy show for sure. See them this Sunday, December 4, 8pm at Anna's Jazz Island in Berkeley. Call 841-JAZZ (5299) after 5:00 PM for reservations.

Katrina: 24 Hours of the Blues

2005-11-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

WHO: The Bay Area Blues Society

WHAT: “24 Hours of the Blues” – A benefit for musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina

WHERE: Vallejo Performing Arts Center, 707 Marin Street, Vallejo, CA

WHEN: November 19th and 20th, 2005
6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WHY: The Bay Area Blues Society is assisting the MusiCares Foundation by hosting this 24 Hoursof Blues Benefit. Many styles of music will be presented including Blues, Cajun, Zydeco, R&Band Gospel to raise funds for the many displaced musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina andthe areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The MusiCares Foundation is assisting hundreds of musicians. Hurricane Relief Assistancemay include funds for basic living expenses such as shelter, food, utilities, cell phones andtransportation; medical expenses including doctor, dental, hospital bills, and medication; clothingand toiletries; musical instruments and recording equipment replacement; relocation costs;school supplies for students; insurance payments and more. The funds for this specific need willsoon run out. The Bay Area Blues Society would like to assist by presenting this benefit in order to continue the much needed support for the hundreds of musicians in order for them to make a living. Many musicians in the 7th and 9th Wards of New Orleans lost everything. We cannot let New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz Music, or it’s music be washed away.

BAY AREA BLUES SOCIETY, INC.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Bay Area Blues Society is a non-profit, 501 © (3) organization dedicated to the perpetuation of Blues, Jazz and Gospel as an indigenous American art form. We are dedicated to the preservation , promotion and representation of this American folk music and cultural forms of Blues, Jazz and Gospel as they took root in African-American communities. The communities of Vallejo, Richmond, Oakland and Russell City all have deep roots in the music idiom.

For the past 17 years, the Bay Area Blues Society has surpassed all other blues society's who focus on just Blues festivals and membership. We have reached out within our community, as well as expanded to other communities, to present the rich musical heritage of the Blues, American's only true home-grown art form.

ErgoBone

2005-11-13T00:34:00.000-08:00

ErgoBone is a new auxiliary device for all trombonists which gives the player a more comfortable, effective and healthy way of playing the trombone.

We have some personal testimonials that this device works! Check out the videos.

Trombones via Google

2005-11-12T23:54:00.001-08:00

In celebration of Trombone Day...

7th Annual Trombone Day

2005-11-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

California State University Hayward hosts the 7th Annual Trombone Day, tomorrow, November 12. Featured are clinics and performance by John Engelkes, Bass Trombonist with the San Francisco Symphony, a lecture about Focal Dystonia by guest speaker Jan Kagarice and a concert by the Bay Bonz trombone choir.

My wife, Lori is performing with the Bay Bonz and gave me this list of quite difficult pieces on the program.

Funklore - Earl Zindars
Mister Roberts - Ilja Reijngoud
Bonin' Up - Jack Hayes
Well All Right - Pete Madsen
Adagio from Symphony No. 3 - Saint-Saens
arranged by Ken Murley
Back to the Fair - Bill Reichenbach

Lori likens this event to a Napolean Dynamite family reunion.

Links from the sponsers, AGMusic and California State East Bay.

John Worley Birthday Bash

2005-11-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of heavies playing this weekend, but I am going to help John celebrate his 50th birthday at BOAS in Cupertino, Saturday night. All the usual suspects from the Worlview band should be there and I expect a few others to sit in, maybe quite a few others. It should be well worth my time.

Two Three other Worley items of note.

There is a huge article in today's San Francisco Chronicle about John, although I have not yet had time to read it. A very cool article with quotes of high praise from Carla Bley and Steve Swallow about his performance at the recent Monterey Jazz Festival. (That's my photo John!)

Also check out John's blog. He has an interesting post about how he learned to play trumpet. An insightful look at the early Worley.

To top it all off, John is playing tonight and Sunday with Stanley Clark at Yoshi's. Sweet!

Miles Davis Quintet at the Blackhawk, SF

2005-10-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

I googled "miles at the blackhawk" and found this 1957 poster from the old San Francisco club on All That Jazz.

Dave Douglas and Keystone

2005-10-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Trumpeter Dave Douglas, working with the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts in Peekskill, NY, who received a National Endowment for the Arts grant to score silent films will perform to the movie's of Fatty Arbuckle. Read about "Fatty" and Dave in today's SF Chronicle's Datebook section.

A 30 minute talk about Silent Films and Jazz precedes the performance.

Douglas' Keystone band consists of Marcus Strickland on saxophones, Jamie Saft on Wurlitzer keyboard, Brad Jones on bass, Gene Lake on drums and DJ Olive on turntables. Drawing from jazz, drum 'n' bass, electronica and the early '70s funk jazz of Miles Davis, "Keystone" is a haunting, formidably original creation that certainly sounds like no other music ever scored to a silent film. Douglas says he knew he had to come up with a fresh approach after he saw Arbuckle's work.
"The acting and all that's happening is so well choreographed that it would have been redundant to make the kind of sound effects that you generally hear on film scores," he says. "Instead, I tried to create themes that apply a counterpoint that underlines the movies' themes, that gives an alternative meaning.
"And as I kept manipulating the sounds, I started to feel I had a comradeship with Arbuckle because he was experimenting every day. You can see him think, 'How am I going to capture this gag?'

Dave Douglas and Keystone: Scores performed live to silent films directed by and starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon St., San Francisco. $22-$32. (415) 776-1999. For complete San Francisco Jazz Festival schedule, go to www.sfjazz.org.

Links:
SF Chonicle article
SF Jazz Festival article
Dave Douglas web site

Mose Allison

2005-10-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Today's San Francisco Chronicle's Datebook section has 2 interesting articles on music from the ongoing SF Jazz Festival, one, an interview with Mose Allison who plays this Thursday with bassist Bill Douglas and drummer Pete Magadini.

"I don't know what I've got going," Allison said from his Long Island home, his soothing Mississippi drawl still in evidence. "I used to tell a joke. Mose the singer and Mose the songwriter got together and said if we could just get rid of this piano player we can make some serious money. The fact is that I try to play jazz piano, and I keep at it, but nobody knows what my classification is. They ask me if I'm a blues person or a jazz person, but I don't consider myself anything. That's up to other people. I've never seen me, you know?"
Mose Allison performs with drummer Pete Magadini and bass player Bill Douglas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. $24-$44. (415) 788-7353, http://sfjazz.org/.

Jello Scale Model of San Francisco

2005-10-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Hickock has created a gigantic jello sculpture of the city of San Francisco, including the Bay Bridge. The photos are just amazing -- especially the video of the whole city shaking like a bowl full of jello. via BoingBoing

23rd SF Jazz Festival

2005-10-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

The 23rd annual San Francisco Jazz Festival begins this Wednesday evening. This is not a weekend event but a series of top of the line concerts that last through November 6.

The first 2 shows are of particular note. The opening night concert with Abbey Lincoln on Wednesday October 19 is typically a private party for patrons and members but this year is open to the public as a Katrina Relief Benefit with proceeds going to directly to the in need New Orleans Musician's Clinic.

This fund goes directly to sustain our NOMC-in-Exile operations until January 2006 and to provide direct assistance to musicians ( from purchasing gasoline to school uniforms for their children and everything in between.)
The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic (NOMC) is an innovative not-for-profit occupational medicine and wellness partnership offering comprehensive health care to our community's most precious resource: our musicians. Our sponsors are the Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, and the LSU Health Care Network. Dedicated on May 2, 1998, NOMC became the first such health initiative in the United States, addressing the health care needs of musicians and their families, an under-served segment of the population. To date our dedicated consortium of service providers has treated more than 1000 local musicians.

On Thursday at the Great American Music Hall, the World Saxophone Quartet (with rhythm section) plays Jimi Hendrix. I have always loved the WSQ and their themed works.

This fall, as heard on the group's acclaimed 2004 CD, Experience, the ever-vital WSQ breathes new fire into the repertoire of rock icon Jimi Hendrix...

The group takes the stage in San Francisco as a supercharged septet, with its namesake saxmen founding members David Murray, Oliver Lake, and Hamiet Bluiett plus newcomer Bruce Williams joined by trombonist Craig Harris, bassist Matthew Garrison, and drummer Lee Pearson.

There is lots more with Montara's own Bobby Hutcherson sitting in with George Cables, the Denny Zeitlin Trio and Ornette Coleman too. Check them out at sfjazz.org

Jazz coming to Fillmore District

2005-10-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

A new Yoshi's club and a jazz heritage museum are coming to Fillmore and Eddy streets along with condos, restaurants and parking. There is an interview and article with developer Michael Johnson who broke ground on the long awaited project last week in today's San Francisco Chronicle's Real Estate section. Article here.

When completed in 2007, the $68 million development at Fillmore and Eddy streets will have 80 condominiums, a new Yoshi's music club, a jazz heritage museum, a new restaurant and two parking garages for more than 200 cars...

Peter Fitzsimmons, who will run the 6,000-square-foot heritage museum, said the neighborhood's jazz history will thrive in the new center.

"The Fillmore was an amazing stage for the kids of our city, including my dad," said Fitzsimmons, the son of Smith and late community activist Pat Nacey. "They would meet and play and jam with the greats, and sometimes get their careers launched."

Old-timers especially remember the years after World War II, when San Francisco was still a segregated city, and traveling jazz bands would congregate after hours at Fillmore hot spots like the Havana Club, Elsie's Breakfast Club and Jimbo's Bop City.

John Shifflett's fan mail

2005-10-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

I was just checking out John Shifflett's barebones website and I found this funny as hell fanmail. I'll have to skip the spell checker this time. Nelson, if you happen to read this, do have have more letters out there?

Coincidently, I just received the following message in this morning's email. Unusual, to say the least - we certainly seem to attract an eclectic audience! He didn't leave his mailing address, so looks like we've lost a big sale. I'll try an email reply, but it appears to be via a Radio Shack store in North Carolina, so don't hold your
breath... JS
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Hello Mr. Shifflett hower you doing. Me an my dog was lisening to the radio yestiday and the most funny sounding song come on. Now that dog dint howl like he normaly duz when I put my records on so I figgered his ears was confewzd. But then my old lady comes in and sez lookithat animule's keeping time with his tail. Blest if I know how he herd the beat cuz I sure cudnot but there you are. So then the radio man sez you are playing the bass and I herd some of them licks you let off and I figger you got a nice Nashville bass with 4 strings cuz I play me a 1 string gutbukit with Pete And The Big Pickers on frydays over in Ridgetown. And I dont bleeve nobody can play that many notes on a gutbukit. So anyways I had this fella at radioshak find out about you on his computr with his ww progam and you all seem like nice boys and my old lady sez to send 17 records COD cuz shes got some long hares on her side what she wants to givem fer Crismus.
Yor musicul comrad
Nelson H. Littleton
ps Pete dont have no record but if you make a fonecall to Billys Inn in Ridgetown any fryday nite tell old Billy to hold the fone up in the air for a wile and Im the one on the gutbukit and singing the slow songs.
-------- End Forwarded Message --------

Eye on Kristen Strom

2005-10-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Eye Entertainment Guide of the San Jose Mercury News has a very nice article / interview on Bay Area Saxophonist Kristen Strom.

The San Jose saxophonist has been a mainstay on the Bay Area music scene for nearly two decades, and her new album, "Intention'' (Open Path Music), reveals an artist whose musical world is predicated upon the primacy of beautifully rendered melodies.

"The project is melody-based,'' says Strom, who celebrates the release of "Intention'' on Saturday at Boas Club Elite in Cupertino. "I wanted the beauty of melody and tone, to capture all the instruments with the best sound possible.''

She performs with the group featured on the album, including her husband, guitarist Scott Sorkin, and Adam Shulman on keyboards, drummer Jason Lewis and
bassist John Shifflett. A number of guest musicians will also be on hand, including Pruitt.

The news article is here and Kristen's personal website is here.

New Gryphon Strings T-Shirt

2005-10-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

Gryphon Stringed Instruments of Palo Alto, CA has a new T-Shirt designed by underground cartoonist, Robert Armstrong.

Much as we love the old Gryphon T-shirt design, after over 25 years of looking at the same logo everybody around here was ready for something different. The “Robot Johnson” design is of course from Robert Armstrong, famed underground cartoonist and founding member of the Cheap Suit Serenaders. If you’ve logged onto our website (gryphonstrings.com) you’re already familiar with Bob’s somewhat twisted sense of humor. We’ve run the design shown here a couple of times as ads in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and people have called and emailed suggesting we issue a T-shirt, so we did. Leave it to Bob to combine all the hoopla about blues legend Robert Johnson, and the new fad for robots, into one character, Robot Johnson, complete with handy oil can and mechanical mascot. And any self-respecting robot would have to play a metal National guitar, don’t you agree?
via BoingBoing

Katrina: Branford and Harry on Fresh Air

2005-10-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

The Katrina Hurricane has brought new attention to the music of New Orleans and Jazz in general. I am hearing more these days about Louis Armstrong and Dr. John. On Wednesday, I listened to this great interview with Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Listen to it here.

They explore their musical history and childhood friendship, exactly the stuff I like to hear.

Fresh Air from WHYY, October 12, 2005 · Musicians Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis, two New Orleans natives, have been friends for years -- back to the days when Connick took piano lessons from Marsalis' father, Ellis.
And when their hometown was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Marsalis and Connick sought to help any way they could. Marsalis' brother Wynton organized a benefit concert in New York. And Branford's label, Marsalis Music, is releasing a benefit CD, Celebration of New Orleans Music to Benefit the Musicares Hurricane Relief.

Pumpkin Festival

2005-10-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

The Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is on this weekend. It is our little piece of Americana. The prize winning pumpkin at Monday's weigh off totaled 1229 pounds. The festival brings lots of music to town, very little of it jazz ( the Emerson Growiser Band is your best bet) and mostly classic rock and country. I can hear the bands from my house, 2 miles from downtown. You will find several stages and small groups on every corner and in between. That pan flute band, the steel drum people and that guy that plays the stick guitar are always there along with some local kids that play some mean blues. It also brings lots of crafts and people (100,000) and traffic. The trick is to come early and leave early if you don't want to sit in your car all day. Web site is here. See you there.

The Dead Kenny G's

2005-10-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Dead Kenny G's played Yoshi's just before we left for vacation. I tried to write about them then but the PC crashed and I just gave up. I know virtually nothing about them accept what I read on their web site, I just love the name. Check them out. There is lots of interesting reading. www.thedeadkennygs.com

This trio of shape shifting musicians shatters musical paradigms by melding elements of jazz, classical, and eastern music over the soundtrack of a punk rock life.

Back from vacation

2005-10-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we took a break from it all and went hiking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, no phone service, no internet and no music. There is no flat ground there either so all the hiking is steep and strenuous. Don't drop something round because, if it doesn't hit a tree, it will roll all the way to Fresno. The pictures show some big freekin trees and some rock stacking exercises.

Katrina: WWOZ in Exile

2005-10-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans radio station WWOZ web site remains one of the best places for musicians to check for news and assistance and they are streaming over the net. The home page is here and the help page is here.

Check out the picture gallery of some of the local clubs and what's left of their homes and radio station.

Katrina: All that Jazz Hurricane Survivor Quilt

2005-10-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here, a group of quilters have started a jazz and New Orleans inspired survivor quilt to raise money for Katrina relief. Patches are displayed as they are built. Check out the blog sponsering the project here.

All that Jazz is a fundraiser for survivors of the Katrina disaster. The aim is produce a gem of crazy quilt or quilts to be auctioned in March on the six month anniversary of the disaster. They will be sold on Ebay in the United States with the money going to American Red Cross.

Katrina: "Emotions Run High..."

2005-09-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Google the words "Katrina" and "Jazz" and you will find pages and pages of links referring to the AP story about Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Higher Ground" hurricane relief benefit concert last Saturday night. The article entitled "Emotions Run High at Katrina Jazz Concert" outlined the celebrities and their critical views on how the federal government handled the hurricane's aftermath and "conditions prior to it". Hundreds of news services must have run this article.

Fox News, while covering the event and using the same title for their article had a decidedly different view of the event. My mistake, the article talked about the Madison Square Garden concert. Searching Fox News, I can't seem to find that they covered the Higher Ground concert at all.

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society

2005-09-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Chronicle Calendar section has an article today about the 40th anniversary of the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society - Pete Douglas, proprietor - at Miramar Beach on the Half Moon Bay coastside.

The 40-year anniversary will be marked today with a screening of "Jazz on the West Coast: The Lighthouse," a 77-minute documentary chronicling the famed Lighthouse jazz club in Hermosa Beach. Stars of the so-called L.A. "Cool" style like Bud Shank and Shorty Rogers first gained prominence in now legendary 1950s Lighthouse jam sessions led by bassist Howard Rumsey. The Lighthouse just happens to be where a teenage Pete Douglas first caught the jazz bug.

Read the article for a brief history of the club and interview with Pete although the article does little to reveal his personality. Pete, love him or hate him, has single handedly supported jazz on the coast and made the Bach what it has been for the last 40 years and is today. For more information see: www.bachddsoc.org.

San Francisco Blues Festival

2005-09-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Blues Festival started 33 years ago and purports to be the oldest ongoing blues festival in the world. It runs today and tomorrow and the weather is perfect. I've been to this several times and must say that it is always a blast. There is lots to see and hear at their web site.

Last Wednesday, Michael Krasney from KQED radio's Forum show interviewed the festival's founder and producer Tom Mazzolini and Angeli Strehli who also performs.

Monterey Jazz Festival

2005-09-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

We did get down to the Monterey Jazz Festival on Sunday and as usual, it is a great hang surrounded by jazz and jazz lovers. It was a beautiful day to drive down along the ocean from Half Moon Bay. A good way to start the day.

We beelined to see the interview on the creative process with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow. The conversation was very laid back, fun and a little predictable but I did learn how much detail actually goes into her compositions. Every note is painstakingly contemplated so that it is written in stone and played as written. Steve Swallow said listening to her write 2 measures for weeks at a time drove him out of his mind and that it truly was an illness to which Carla agreed. Friend and trumpeter John Worley played in her band for the festival and can attest to her ability to hear every note in the huge chords. John had a lot more good to say about Carla and I hope he can write about the experience. She talked about growing up and how delighted she would feel when musical toys would break and play all the wrong notes and how she loved the arcade at the Cliff House in San Francisco and how wrong the music would sound from the worn out arcade machines.

Shopping and eating came next. The festival always hosts a great collection of artists and vendors that you do not see every day or at every festival.

We caught some of Claire Dee and I thought that she got a lot more funky then what you hear on her CDs which was nice and refreshing. Her sweet and easy listening stuff was there too along with husband and arranger Ken French on piano. All in all a very professional performance.

While we were waiting for Jon Jang, we thought we would see what was playing in the arena. We didn't check the schedule but could hear music and since there was no one at the open gate, we just walked in. The place was empty except for someone on stage playing guitar and the sound people. We sat down in the last row drinking our coffees and listening to this cat on stage in a baseball cap strumming these huge complex chords and creating this massive sound and trying out several guitars when we started thinking that this must be Pat Metheny doing a sound check. We sat there for 10 or 15 minutes being treated to this incredible private concert when I thought to pull out the binoculars to get a better look at the performer. That is when an usher walks up and asks to see our pass. I show her my arena ticket but that is not good enough as the arena is closed and we have to leave. It was most enjoyable as we could not stay for his concert later that evening.

A brief word about the sound systems which sounded excellent except for the volume. Every venue is so loud my ears rang and at times, left me wincing in pain. Am I the only one to notice this? I did appreciate the quality of the sound and the expert engineering.

On to Jon Jang. We are friends with almost half the band, well at least Wayne Wallace and John Worley. It is always good to hear them play together. Jon's arrangements of east asian folk music as modern jazz compositions is unique and interesting. He talks of the history of the originating pieces and makes the show quite interesting. They did not have much rehearsal time as the group is new but the high level of musicianship pulled off a show different then any other at the festival. The musicians were obviously having fun and a very appreciative audience gave a standing ovation.

We next took in the Christian McBride show. I play bass and wanted a good seat. Christian come out and plays an incredibly complex bass solo, first thing, with unbelievable chops. Most impressive. The rest of the band filters in and they play a long groove tune. The surprise (at least to me) is that there is a DJ layin down the beat and it turns into a hippity hop concert. It is all high quality music, except for the drum loops on vinyl which were fairly scratched and dirty, so there was a lot of popping and hiss (not helped by the loud PA). I liked the first tune anyway but halfway through the second tune, the music was going nowhere fast and it is getting close Denny Zeitlen's first set. We made the decision to leave the pretty good seats we had and take that long obvious walk down the aisle. Sorry Christian.

Denny Zeitlen was worth it and the best show of the festival for me. A pianist of incredible technique and interpretation, Denny always leaves me wondering where he comes from. One revealing song was a piece that described his experiences mountain biking around Slickrock in southern Utah. Most entertaining and it explains a few things. Buster Williams plays an understated bass with interesting an interesting slide technique that taught me a few things. This was my first exposure to drummer Matt Wilson who is one of the most musical and expressive drummers I have seen in a long time. He appears to have jumped out of an old tv series but I was left wanting to know more and that is my homework assignment for this week.

We left after that but had a great time. One more thing, this festival is one great mecca for photographers. They swarm the stage at every concert. I know you must be bold to get the good pictures and I tried once myself but there were so many, I must say that it was a bit distracting. What can you say. It is really irresistible for most jazz loving photographers.

Here are a few links for other MJF reviews:

Jazz Portraits
Jazz Police.com (2nd day review)
Doug Ramsey - Rifftides...
Fojazz (various posts)...

Katrina: BENEFIT FOR MIDEASTERN DANCER/JAZZ MUSICIAN KATRINA VICTIMS

2005-09-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

Found this on Tribe. The Morocco Studio in New York is holding a benefit HAFLA for Mideastern dancers and jazz musicians affected by Katrina this Sunday.

Date & Time: Sunday, September 18, 2005
more on this date 12:00 PM

Location: MOROCCO STUDIO 6 West 20 St. (bet 5 & 6) 2nd floor New York, NY 10011
view map

More Info: 212-727-8326www.casbahdance.org/studio.html

48th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival

2005-09-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

The 48th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival runs this Friday through Sunday. Prices have risen but even the grounds tickets are worth it or check Craig's List.

Carla Bley

2005-09-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Oakland born Carla Bley finishes up at Yoshi's tonight and performs a commissioned piece for the Monterey Jazz Festival on Saturday night.

Post-bop jazz has produced only a few first-rate composers of larger forms; Carla Bley ranks high amongst them. Bley possesses an unusually wide compositional range; she combines an acquaintance with and love for jazz in all its forms with great talent and originality. Her music is a peculiarly individual type of hyper-modern jazz. Bley is capable of writing music of great drama and profound humor, often within the confines of the same piece.

Katrina: NAMM

2005-09-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

NAMM is looking for information from it's Katrina affected members.

NAMM Members Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina.
We've received calls and e-mails from Members around the world who are sharing their plans to help. If you'd like to share what your business is doing to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, please e-mail us.

Were You Affected By Hurricane Katrina? Let Us Know You're Safe.
We are just now starting to hear from NAMM Members in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by the disaster. We know many of you do business with people in the areas that Katrina hit and we are encouraging all NAMM Members from this region to contact us so we can let everyone know if they are alright and how to reach them.The music products industry is a close-knit family. In a time of crisis, families pull together, and that's what we must do now. There are many different ways to contribute to the well-being of those who have suffered, and once their basic needs are met, we will work with the affected communities to bring the healing power of music back into their lives.

Sincerely,
Dennis Houlihan, Chairman
Joe Lamond, President

Katrina: Will Jazz be Drowned Out?

2005-09-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

This audio essay is from Chicago Public Radio:

Will Jazz be Drowned Out?
Tony Sarabia—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News

Jazz has enriched both Chicago and New Orleans' culture for decades, but Hurricane Katrina may have seriously damaged that shared musical legacy.

Times of India - Requiem for New Orleans as Katrina drowns jazz

2005-09-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

This is an article from "The Times of India" lamenting the affects of Katrina on the music scene of New Orleans. Warning, lots of "Bollywood" pop ups!

On a corner off Canal and Rampart on the edge of the French Quarter an old man wearing dark glasses with a white cane beside him sits on the kerb in front of a shuttered Woolworth's playing a saxophone, the skittering notes random as the small change collected in the cloth cap by his feet.

New Orleans jazz funerals are casualty of Katrina

2005-09-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Found this on Post-Gazette.com. Read the full article here.

Few cities bury their dead in the high style of New Orleans, where funerals can last a week, feature jazz bands as well as parades and draw bigger crowds than weddings do. But those traditions are, for the time being, yet another casualty of Hurricane Katrina. The same flood that ended so many lives in New Orleans shut down most of the city's institutions of death -- its funeral homes, churches and cemeteries. It also scattered the crowds that make New Orleans funerals so extraordinary.

Katrina: Queen Sized Clothing Relief

2005-09-12T00:27:00.000-07:00

Found this on the WWOZ site:

Oversize women's clothes:

Hello. I am a community radio DJ, artist, and New Orleans friend in Astoria, OR. I have been collecting NICE plus sized women's clothing for the larger ladies who have lost their stuff. I have LOTS...all clean and ready to wear. I can supply some show clothes, if a musician or singer or someone needs them. I can send packages directly. What I really need is a connection in your area to help me distribute these items to the women who need them. The clothes range from nice show clothes to summer-wear for those in the shelters.
Please help me find a contact...I can ship or truck them down once things level off.I also could help out a musician, animals, or foster a kid. Please let me know how I can help and please find a contact for my wonderful Queen Sized Clothing.
Thanks
Calamity Jane
cafevaquera@hotmail.com
Queen Sized Relief.....

Katrina: AFM Local 174-496

2005-09-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

The American Federation of Musicians Union - New Orleans Local 174-496 web site is here. They have a known safe musicians contact database and a relief fund.

Katrina: Blues For Katrina

2005-09-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

The Blues For Katrina web site seeks to provide a forum for musicians, artists, agents and promoters to collaborate on efforts to stage benefit concerts and other fund-raising events to provide aid and relief to the unfortunate victims of Hurricane Katrina which struck the Gulf Coast of The United States on the 29th of August, 2005.

Katrina: NOLA gigs for displaced musicians

2005-09-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting web site designed to search for employment opportunities for displaced NOLA musicians. The site is very new and they could use more gigs for the database.

Katrina: New Blog - Musicians in Southeast Louisiana

2005-09-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to specifically helping the musicians of Southern Louisiana.

Katrina: WWOZ help for Musicians page

2005-09-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

The WWOZ web site continues to be a good site for musicians to seek assistance. This page is a great place to start and contains links to many resources.

Katrina: Larry's Improv Page Helping Musicians

2005-09-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Larry has been gathering information to help musicians affected by Katrina. This site contains information about the New Orleans Musician's Clinic, an Instrument Fund drive and a "bunch of links" to many helpful sites.

Katrina: Singer 'Gatemouth' Brown dies after evacuation

2005-09-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) -- Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the singer and guitarist who built a 50-year career playing blues, country, jazz and Cajun music, died Saturday in his hometown of Orange, Texas, where he had gone to escape Hurricane Katrina. He was 81.

Read the full story here.

Katrina: “Requiem”

2005-09-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

List of New Orleans musicians who are safe.

2005-09-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

This huge list from WWOZ Radio:

This is a list of New Orleans musicians who are safe. Thanks to Basin Street Records, JazzAscona, the Chicago Jazz Archive, and the Rebirth Brass Band for all their information. Last Updated 9/6/05.
If you're a musician, or know the whereabouts of some of New Orleans' finest, let us know. Please check the list before submitting any information - and thanks, we hope
you're well!

JAZZ “MARATHON FUNDRAISER” in the WASHINGTON DC METROPOLITAN AREA

2005-09-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 11, 2005 (12pm until)
Venue TWINS JAZZ
1344 U. St. NW,
Washington, DC 20009 - Tel: ( 202) 234-0072
http://www.twinsjazz.com

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of Jazz. The people of New Orleans desperately need our help! All jazz musicians and listeners are asked to donate and support this occasion. It's our time to give. Twins Jazz is providing the space and donating a percentage of that day’s daily receipts. All other jazz venues are asked to donate as well. We must come together as a Jazz family to help the people in New Orleans. Television, Radio Stations, Newspapers and Webmasters are asked to publicize this event. All donations are accepted. We need your immediate help to make this a success! The people of New Orleans need our help. Let’s show them, the jazz community in the Metropolitan area really cares.

Please bring new clothing, diapers, shoes, can food, bottled water, boxes, etc, Volunteers & Vehicles are Needed to Transport. Make checks & money orders payable to your choice Tax Deductible Donations $50, $100, $500, 1,000, $5,000, etc.

Procedes will be divided between HIGHER GROUND HURRICANE RELIEF FUND, the AMERICAN RED CROSS and HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

More details here.

Katrina: WWOZ in Exile is looking for past program tapes

2005-09-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

WWOZ-In-Exile is requesting any listeners with tapes of WWOZ programming to contact Ken Freedman at WFMU (ken@wfmu.org) for use on WWOZ's temporary webstream.

WWOZ is also looking for money to rebuild the station:

WFMU is accepting donations on this page for the rebuilding of WWOZ, New Orleans. Because we want to put every penny towards WWOZ's reconstruction, and because WWOZ still has no central facilities, we are not offering any gifts at this time. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. WFMU / Auricle Communications is a 501(c)(3) charity, as defined by the IRS. By pledging to WWOZ's reconstruction, you will not be added to WFMU's mailing list, only to WWOZ's.
To pledge, click here.

Music of New Orleans reminds of what's lost

2005-09-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

From Reuters News Agency:

By Chris Morris
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In the drowned city of New Orleans, Preservation Hall is still standing.

A story in Monday's Los Angeles Times said the fate of the historic jazz venue on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter was still unknown. But -- in the uncertainty of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath and because of the dicey nature of communications out of the city -- information about New Orleans is being passed hand to hand, from one soul to the other.

Ben Jaffe -- whose family has operated Preservation Hall since 1961 as a temple devoted to the city's traditional jazz music -- survived Katrina's blow, according to Andy Hurwitz of Ropeadope Records in New York, who is working on a remix project with the Preservation Hall label.

"He decided that he and his family had been through worse," Hurwitz wrote in an e-mail last week, "so he rode out the actual storm, and both he and the hall made it relatively unscathed. But just yesterday (August 31), he felt the need to finally flee -- not because of the hurricane but because of the wild looting and lawlessness. He said he was scared, and he's the baddest cat I know."

Shots of Preservation Hall are among the first and last things one sees in Michael Murphy's new documentary "Make It Funky!" In an unsettling coincidence of timing, the Triumph Films release opens Friday at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and the Quad Cinemas in Manhattan.

Murphy's film, like the all-star April 2004 concert that serves as its center, was meant to be a celebration of New Orleans' fount of musical genius. Most of the Crescent City's best-known and best-loved stars -- Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, the Neville Brothers, Snooks Eaglin -- are seen in live performance.

It's a jubilant movie, but, in Katrina's aftermath, it jarringly serves to show us all the more what's been lost in the destruction of New Orleans.

Murphy's walk through musical history makes the point that New Orleans music is very much a form of street music. The town's sound was born on the pavement -- in the singing of slaves on Congo Square, in the playing of funeral parade bands, in the rhythmic contests of Mardi Gras Indians.

And now one must wonder if that joyous noise will ever rise again out of those now-inundated streets.

For the time being, at least, the only way we can honor the city's tradition is to revisit it by dipping into the jazz of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet; the R&B of Fats Domino, Professor Longhair and Dave Bartholomew; the funk of the Meters and Dr. John.

Although closed indefinitely, the indomitable Preservation Hall has established a fund devoted to the relief of the city's musicians. (Consult http://www.preservationhall.com.) The fund will be sustained by the sale of T-shirts emblazoned with a famed Armstrong song title, "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?"

Now, sadly, we will likely all know what it means.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Katrina: Transplanted Creoles vow to keep culture alive

2005-09-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Found this article via the Associated Press.

LOS ANGELES – Wilda Little speaks Creole with her cousin two or three times a week and listens to her favorite zydeco bands on aging vinyl records, but that's about as close as the Louisiana transplant gets these days to the Creole culture of her youth.
Little, 80, is one of the last standard-bearers of the once-vibrant Louisiana Creole community in Los Angeles that has faded a little more each year as the zydeco dance halls shut down and native Creole speakers died.
Now, after Hurricane Katrina dealt a devastating blow to New Orleans and its teeming culture, Creoles who left decades ago are vowing to preserve their endangered language and music.

Read the full article here.

Katrina: survivor first-hand account from Charmaine Neville

2005-09-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Emotional video interview of Charmaine Neville. Found on BoingBoing.

Famed musician and New Orleans native Charmaine Neville's account of being stranded, attempting to rescue others, and "being treated like animals" by the federal authorities who were tasked with protecting and saving citizens. Ms. Neville broke into a school bus, packed it with survivors -- some of whom were disabled persons confined to wheelchairs -- and drove them out of the city.

Katrina: Buy a theremin, help the Red Cross

2005-09-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Inverseroom has put one of his great-looking 14 control photo theremins on eBay, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross: eBay page.

Found on Music Thing.

Katrina: MSNBC auctions off autographed guitar

2005-09-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

To raise additional funds for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, MSNBC.com is holding an exclusive online auction of a unique Gibson guitar that was autographed by all performers and presenters during Friday night's live benefit concert on NBC...

The autographed instrument is a Les Paul Standard with a 1960’s-style neck. The guitar was donated by Nashville-based Gibson USA, and is valued at $3,248 without the autographs.

MSNBC's auction will conclude on Friday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m. ET. (MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft.) Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross, which has been organizing relief efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other affected areas.

The link also contains video clips from the concert.

Found on Music Thing.

Katrina: WWOZ broadcasting on the web

2005-09-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

WWOZ may be off the air but they are back on the web, streaming jazz. Thier web site also offers information on the New Orleans Musician's clinic, a musician fund in the making, housing opportunities and animal rescue and lots more. Looks like they will also need money to rebuild the station.

Katrina: Report From WWOZ New Orleans General Manager

2005-09-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

David Freedman the Manager of WWOZ New Orleans files a very personal report on the blog site of WFMU. They will need money to rebuild the station. Also, they are currently streaming audio on the web. Check out the blog here and the streaming radio here.

Katrina: Preservation Hall Relief fund

2005-09-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

Found this link on Jazz West:

Please donate to the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund.This fund is established by Preservation Hall to provide musicians with financial support during this tragic time. 100% of money raised through this fund will go directly to New Orleans musicians. Thank you for your continued support.

Katrina: Clear Channel StormAid Tally

2005-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Folks have mixed feelings about Clear Channel but here is a list of what their entertainment affiliates have done and are doing to benefit the storm affected south.

Katrina: Nevilles Escape to Memphis

2005-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

From KGET news web site:
Singer Aaron Neville and the entire New Orleans Neville family got out of town on Monday and are currently staying at a hotel in Memphis, reports FoxNews.com’s Roger Friedman, however most of the Nevilles’ homes are destroyed, according to their niece and “A Current Affair” host, Arthel Neville...
*Musician/songwriter Allen Toussaint was one of the 25,000 refugees stranded at the New Orleans Superdome hoping to get on a bus for Houston’s Astrodome...
*New Orleans’ own “Queen of Soul” Irma Thomas, the original singer of what became the Rolling Stones’ hit, “Time is On My Side,” has also not been heard from since the hurricane hit. Her club, The Lion’s Den, is now under water...
*Philadelphia-born R&B veteran Patti LaBelle has offered her home to a friend...
*At the World Music Awards held Wednesday, percussionist Sheila E said she hasn’t been able to contact relatives in New Orleans.
Click here for the complete article.

Katrina: Memphis rocker Alex Chilton evacuated from New Orleans

2005-09-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Memphis rocker evacuated from New Orleans home

By Jon SparksContactSeptember 5, 2005

Memphian Alex Chilton, 54, the famed rock singer and guitarist who lives in New Orleans is alive and well. Ron Easley, a friend and fellow musician who has recorded a number of albums with him, said Chilton called early Monday morning from a hotel in a city Easley would not name. He said Chilton was evacuated by helicopter from his home Sunday and later flown out of the area.

Chilton, who hadn’t been heard from since shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck, told Easley he stayed in his home the entire time and water had gotten up to his porch. Chilton said he had food and water but was most concerned during the week about roving gangs.

Katrina: Give New Orleans a N.Y. week

2005-09-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Found a mention of this NY Daily News article by Pete Hamil on Cahl's Juke Joint calling for the Mother of All Benefit Concerts.

Katrina: The Shrimp and Petroleum Festival re-scheduled

2005-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Article from the 2theadvocate news site in Baton rouge:

Several Labor Day festivals canceled; benefit concert set

By RICHARD BURGESS
mailto:BURGESSrburgess@theadvocate.com

Acadiana bureau LAFAYETTE -- A planned zydeco concert at the Yambilee Building in Opelousas that threatened to displace more than 400 Katrina evacuees at a shelter there has been canceled after the organizer had a change of heart Friday.

Ultimate Zydeco Throwdown organizer Cullen Washington said earlier this week that he planned to enforce his contract to hold the event today and suggested the evacuees be moved to nearby schools for the weekend.

"I went ahead and decided to cancel it. … I can't find it in my heart to kick women and children out so people can come have a party," Washington said.

Washington estimated that he has lost about $13,000 on marketing and supplies.

"I'm still blessed that I can go home tonight. I can take a shower and get in bed," he said.

Other zydeco events planned for the festival-heavy Labor Day weekend will go on as scheduled, including:

-The Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in Plaisance
-The Creole Zydeco Festival in St. Martinville.

But some festivals have been postponed or canceled in the aftermath of Katrina.Those are:

-The Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, re-scheduled for next month
-The Rayne Frog Festival has also been postponed. No new date has been set.
-The Mamou Cajun Music Festival has been canceled.

Meanwhile, plans are coming together for a Katrina relief benefit concert Sept. 10 at Parc International in downtown Lafayette. The lineup has yet to be confirmed. Acadiana Arts Council Executive Director Buddy Palmer said he hopes the benefit concert will raise at least $15,000 for the American Red Cross.

Katrina: More on Fats Domino

2005-09-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Another article in the 2theadvocate news site in Baton Rouge about Fats Domino's escape from New Orleans.

Katrina: International Association for Jazz Education forum board

2005-09-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

IAJE invites you to post announcements about fund-raising events or projects to benefit hurricane victims on this bulletin board. To post your announcement, click "reply" to this message. IAJE can't verify the integrity of all events posted here, so we recommend that you check them out BEFORE you send money. Charity watchdogs such as www.charitynavigator.org and www.guidestar.org are places to make certain your donations are getting to the right place and quickly to those in need.

Katrina: Classes at University of South Florida opening its doors

2005-09-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Found this on the International Association for Jazz Education forum board for Hurricane Assistance:

As at many other institutions throughout the country, The University of South Florida is opening its doors to students affected by Hurricane Katrina. Don't hesitate to contact the USF School of Music http:\\music.arts.usf.edu or 813-974-2311 for more details. The University announcement follows:

Chuck Owen

USF is prepared to make special accommodations to allow undergraduate and graduate students who are impacted by the hurricane to take classes at USF this semester.

"Our goal is to allow students to pursue their college education without interruption until these universities reopen," said Bob Spatig, USF's director of undergraduate admissions. "We'll work with parents and students as much as we can to accommodate their individual needs.

"The university has approved waiving the out-of-state portion of tuition and fees for non-resident students enrolled at USF for Fall 2005 only, providing they furnish evidence of enrollment or intent to enroll in Fall 2005 at an institution of higher education located in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Students interested in inquiring about enrolling for the Fall semester at USF should call our toll-free number at 877-USF-BULLS.

Katrina: University of Northern Colorado is also opening its doors

2005-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Found this on the International Association for Jazz Education forum board for Hurricane Assistance:

The University of Northern Colorado is also opening its doors to university students in the Gulf area. Below is a copy of the message that our President released this afternoon.

David Caffey, Director
School of Music
University of Northern Colorado

"UNC is among dozens of universities across the nation working to help students whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. We are welcoming late applications from students displaced from Gulf Coast universities that are temporarily closed. UNC’s Admissions Office will help each student through a simplified application process, and the Office of Academic Support and Advising has assigned an advisor to help the students register. For more information, transfer students may call 1-888-700-4UNC toll-free or 351-2881 in Greeley.

Five UNC students who are in the National Guard have already been called to active duty to help in the hurricane’s aftermath. Their willingness to set aside their own lives to spend weeks, perhaps months, helping in Louisiana and Mississippi makes us proud.

Dean of Students Jean Schober Morrell serves as the liaison between students who are called to active duty and their professors. The Dean of Students Office will notify the students’ professors. If a student chooses to withdraw from classes, the office will contact the Registrar, so the student is not charged. Students who are called to active duty must contact the Dean of Students Office at 351-2796.

Even from some 1,400 miles away, those of us who remain on campus can make a difference. To support the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Katrina, call 1-800-HELP-NOW (435-7669), log onto http://www.redcross.org or mail your check with the appropriate designation in the “For” line to: Centennial Chapter American Red Cross, 804 23rd Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.

As a university, we want to support in every way possible both the students who come to UNC during this tragedy and those who must leave us. I appreciate the professors, advisors and other student service providers who are working to let students know that we will do what it takes to help them succeed at UNC.

Sincerely,

President Kay Norton

Katrina: CLASSES OFFERED AT THE U OF Memphis for Katrina victims

2005-09-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Found this on the International Association for Jazz Education forum board for Hurricane Assistance:

To all,

The president of the University of Memphis announced earlier this week college students who could not attend classes due Hurricane Katrina damage could enroll at the University of Memphis and can get the equal classes to their own curriculum. Please look at memphis.edu (the home page), the following message is posted there.

University of Memphis AdmissionsIn light of the uncertainty surrounding re-habitation of the areas in the Gulf Coast, the University of Memphis will immediately accept students who are currently enrolled in accredited colleges and universities located in that region. Students who have not paid tuition at their home institution will be accepted at the in-state rate. Students whose tuition expenses have been paid to their home institutions will not be required to made additional payments. The University of Memphis is not requiring transcripts nor test scores until such documents are available.

The University is delighted to provide this service in a time of need. University officials welcome inquiries from any displaced students of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

For further information, please contact Gloria Moore in the Office of Admissions at 901/678-2111 or 800/669-2678.

Thanks

Dr. Jack T. Cooper
Director of Jazz Studies
The University of Memphis

Katrina: Help for New Orleans Musicians in Houston

2005-09-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

NOAHleans is a group in Houston looking to help musicians displaced by Hurrican Katrina.

Katrina: Herman Leonard Family Help Fund

2005-09-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Found this on the International Association for Jazz Education forum board for Hurricane Assistance:

We have recieved word on the status of legendary photographer Herman Leonard. His negatives are in a 5th floor vault at the Ogden Museum in N.O. and may be okay, but they are inaccessible for months. He has lost his home and studio - everything - prints, artwork collected over a lifetime, the computer with all the digital work he has been doing for the last 10 years, darkroom - everything that can produce an income. Herman and his family are now safe in Long Beach, California for the time being. See the following advisory regarding how you can help:

Dear Family and Friends,

We are writing to you on behalf of the LEONARD FAMILY HELP FUND.

As many of you know, Herman Leonard, Shana Leonard, Stephen Smith and their daughter India were living in New Orleans, specifically in the Lakeview area, which is now well submerged in water in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They were able to evacuate the city but their property has been flooded and their possessions destroyed. They left New Orleans with little more than the clothes on their back and will have to completely rebuild their lives.

Amongst their possessions were all of India's expensive medical equipment. India is severely disabled with cerebral palsy and microcephaly. Although she is 10 years old, she is not able to walk, talk or feed herself, and requires 24-hour care. A lot of the equipment that is used on a daily basis they were forced to leave behind and it must be replaced as soon as possible.

Many of you have been calling and asking how to help, which has meant a lot to them. Here is the way: LOVE AND CASH! (And not necessarily in that order).

We have formed the LEONARD FAMILY HELP FUND to assist them in rebuilding their lives. Please feel free to contribute generously, but most importantly - no amount is too small.

Please make the check payable to:LEONARD FAMILY HELP FUND

Send To:Leonard Family Help fundc/o Jo Winett10716 Esther Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90064

Or you can pay via paypal:leonardfamilyhelpfund@verizon.net

We will be emailing you updates with news and progress. If you have any questions regarding this fund, or would like to help, please feel free to contact us.

On behalf of the Leonard Family and ourselves, we sincerely thank you,

Rana Joy Glickman, Jo Winett and Hillary Bratton

Organizing committee contact info -Rana Joy (323) 960-0080 rana.joy.glickman@shakrahfilms.comJo (310) 234-0268 jowinett@verizon.netHillary (650) 233-3747 hillary@brattyworld.com

Katrina: IAJE - "Tell us about your needs"

2005-09-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Found this on the International Association for Jazz Education forum board for Hurricane Assistance:

IAJE wants everyone who was in the path of hurricane Katrina to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. We truly want to help you recover. We invite musicians and music educators from areas affected by hurricane Katrina to tell IAJE members how we may help you immediately and long term. Please be specific. Give us your name and tell us how we may contact you. Please be aware that our members will want to verify your information before we can assist you. You may also contact IAJE directly by e-mail to info@iaje.org or by calling (785) 776-8744.

Katrina: Americans for the Arts Hurricane Relief

2005-09-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Found this on the International Association for Jazz Education forum board for Hurricane Assistance:

Dear Members and Colleagues,

I know you join with me in expressing grief and concern about the devastation from Hurricane Katrina that has affected our colleagues in the mid-south region. Americans for the Arts staff are working hard to connect with our members in the affected regions and to offer help in any way possible.

We can report that the damage Katrina inflicted on our members in Florida, when it was a much less powerful storm, was relatively minor. Our members there are moving forward with an assessment to determine the damage to other arts organizations in their region. Greater concern is for those in the gulf states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. We are attempting to reach our members there, and we will keep you updated on any information we receive from our state and local partners.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Members we have talked to in the affected regions have expressed a desperate need for information. In response, Americans for the Arts has set up a bulletin board on our website to gather and disseminate information. If you have heard news about how arts organizations, cultural facilities, and artists are faring in the aftermath of the hurricane, please don't hesitate to submit it for inclusion on the bulletin board. If you know of any initiatives to assist the arts, please feel free to share them as well. Eventually, we hope also to share news and ideas about how arts agencies, organizations, and artists are themselves helping to ease the human suffering that has literally engulfed the region.

If you would like to make a contribution, our regional partner, The Southern Arts Federation, has established an Emergency Relief Fund to assist arts organizations and artists residing in those Gulf Coast communities most devastated by Hurricane Katrina. A donation form can be found on our website at

We also recommend that our members consider making a contribution to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). CERF's Disaster Relief Fund, interest-free loan programs and staff, are prepared to respond to professional craft artists who have suffered significant losses. To make a contribution to CERF, please visit their website at www.craftemergency.org.

Lastly, we have been in touch with our colleagues at the National Endowment for the Arts and they are preparing a formal statement, which we will post on our website upon its release.

Americans for the Arts is committed to helping those affected by this devastating disaster. We will keep you informed about additional ways in which you can help. If you have any questions regarding our efforts, please contact Mara Walker, chief planning officer, at 202.371.2830 or mwalker@artsusa.org. Sincerely, Robert Lynch President and CEO

Katrina: Burlington Riverfront Jazz Festival collecting donations to replace instruments

2005-09-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Burlington Riverfront Jazz Festival in Burlington, New Jersey on Friday and Saturday September 9th & 10th, will be collecting donations for musician and student victims of the Hurricane disaster. We wish to contribute these donations for hurricane relief to help replace instruments and or provide other needs into the hands of deserving students, teachers and performers. You can check out our website at www.burlingtonjazzfest.com or email us at: dtmproject@comcast.net.

Katrina: Irvin Mayfield's Ode to New Orleans

2005-09-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

New Orleans trumpeter Irvin Mayfield is in Baton Rouge and has words of encouragement on this NPR Morning Edition sound clip.

Katrina: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

2005-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Cahl's Juke Joint reports an article from 2theadvocate, the newspaper and Channel 2 TV from Baton Rouge, LA about Slidell and mentions Brown's house and his unknown whereabouts.

A house in that stretch owned by blues singer and guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown also is gone. The only thing there is a couple of cars -- both submerged to the roofs in the bayou. And no one knows whether Brown was at home when Katrina struck.

Katrina: CD Baby and artists donate profits

2005-09-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

CD Baby, a Portland Oregon record distributer, states that over 5000 recording artists that they distribute have chosen to donate their ENTIRE wholesale price to the American Red Cross disaster relief fund.

Jazz West and I published a list of known San Francisco bay area jazz artists involved yesterday. If they have missed you from their list, please send them a note at wayne@jazzwest.com.