How to help New Orleans musicians

Without the efforts of this man, and those who have followed in his footsteps, American (and world) culture would be poorer indeed. Please do what you can to help the people of New Orleans.

Besides being the cradle of jazz, New Orleans has some things in common with St. Louis, including a river location, French heritage and a lot of cool old brick buildings. And despite our town's reputation as a conservative community, St. Louisans do have a bit of an affinity for New Orleans-style partying, too - our Mardi Gras celebration has grown to be one of the largest around after New Orleans, and many Louisiana music acts, from the Neville Brothers to various zydeco and cajun performers, are quite popular here. In some ways, St. Louis is like New Orleans' prim sister, looking down her nose at some of her sibling's excesses, but secretly sharing some of the same desires herself.

All of which is prelude to passing along this email from Jeff Kopper, host of The Wayback Machine program on KDHX, that suggests ways to help New Orleans musicians who have been wiped out by Hurrican Katrina and the subsequent flooding:

Please spread the word! Three great organizations to donate to:

New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)

This is a fantastic hands-on organization who has the names and addresses of so many great musicians because they have them all coming to their FREE health clinic all these years and now, they are the ones who are tracking down the local musicians and finding them shelter.

They can be contacted at musiciank@swlahec.com. They are the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and know the whereabouts of the local musicians down there. Contact: Kathy Richard directly at 337-989-0001

Send donations to:
NOMC Emergency Fund
funds will be distributed by:
SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.
103 Independence Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506

desk: 337-989-0001
fax: 337-989-1401
email: finance@swlahec.com
http://www.swlahec.com/

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is determined to keep Louisiana Music Alive! It is our beacon to soothe our souls. We want to relocate our New Orleans musicians into the Lafayette/ Acadiana community where they can remain a life force! But most of them have lost everything... we must help them rebuild their lives.

They can't access any of their NOMC accounts. They desperately need money to fund these efforts.

Jazz Foundation of America:

We will be addressing the longer term needs of these jazz and blues artists who will have just lost everything.

We will be raising funds and distributing money for the musicians to get a new apartment or room for rent: by giving a first month's rent, possibly more, for them to start over, a place to live. (This is what we normally do on a daily basis for musicians across the country who become sick and can't pay their rent, we also keep food on the table and get employment to hundreds of elderly musicians through our Jazz in the Schools program. Our operations normally assist 35 musicians a week.)

As well, we will be attempting to help New Orleans musicians by replacing the thing that matters most and the only way they can ever work again: their instruments. To those who lost their instruments, like drummers and bassists who could not carry their heavy equipment, and guitarist with their amps, we will be making an effort to work with manufacturers and music stores to replace those instruments for as many as we possibly can.

Remember, New Orleans was only "New Orleans" because of the musicians...

Send donations to:

Jazz Foundation of America
322 West 48th Street 6th floor
New York City, NY 10036

Director: Wendy Oxenhorn
Phone: 212-245-3999 Ext. 21
email contact: Joyce@jazzfoundation.org
website: www.jazzfoundation.org

To make an online CREDIT CARD DONATION OR PLEDGE:
go to: http://www.jazzfoundation.org/index2.html
and click bottom right corner of page where it says "instant pledge"

Thank you, from our hearts.

Goner Records Rock'n'Roll Refugee Fund

Goner Records in Memphis has taken refuge to many New Orleans-area rock'n'rollers who have been dispossessed after Hurricane Katrina. Some others have gone on to other parts of the country. The folks at Goner, in cooperation with the Trinity Parish Episcopal Church in Searcy, AR, have created a fund to directly assist these "rock'n'roll refugees." Some of the names include Mr. Quintron, The Royal Pendletons, Kajun SS, Die Rotzz, The Detonations, The Gories, Darkest Hours, Therapeutic Records, Watchmeeatahotdog.com, the Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau/Ponderosa Stomp folks and many more.

Whatever money you can raise, send to:

Trinity Parish Church Episcopal Discretionary Fund
200 N. Elm St.
Searcy, AR 72143-5271

Put 'Katrina Fund' in subject line of check.

Checks are preferred (to avoid PayPal fees), but if you must send PayPal, use this email address for your donations and be sure to indicate that this is for the KATRINA FUND: trinityparish@yahoo.com

Of course, there will be many organizations working to help provide relief and, eventually, reconstruction for New Orleans, and I encourage you to donate to one or more of them. But if you'd like to do something specifically to help the musicians, these offer a way of doing that. Either way, our brothers and sisters from Louisana (and Alabama and Mississippi, too) are suffering badly right now, and they need us to have their backs.