New Orleans musicians' relief update

I may disagree with Mr. W. Marsalis about certain
aesthetic matters, but I totally agree with him regarding
the importance of New Orleans' musical culture.

News reports suggest that things are improving slightly on the ground in New Orleans, but there's going to be lots of work to be done, and a lot of people in serious need, for many weeks, months and years to come. So in addition to once again encouraging you to contribute to any general relief charities you think are worthy, I wanted to call to your attention the Web site for the New Orleans Musicians' Relief Fund.

If you'd like to put your money somewhere where it will help keep the living repositories of New Orleans musical culture alive and functioning, this seems like a good place to start. In addition, publicist Dawn DeBlaze, who's involved with many local events featuring jazz, has sent along a few other suggestions for helping musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina:

Jazz Foundation of America

The Jazz Foundation of America will address the longer term needs of these jazz and blues artists who will have lost everything. They will raise funds and distribute money for the musicians to get a new apartment or room for rent, by giving a first month's rent for them to start over. They will attempt to help New Orleans musicians by replacing the thing that matters most, and the only way they can ever work again, their instruments. To donate, please contact:

Jazz Foundation of America
322 West 48th Street, 6th floor,
New York, NY 10036
www.jazzfoundation.org
Director: Wendy Oxenhorn: (212) 245-3999, ext. 21


New Orleans Musician Clinic

A fantastic hands-on organization, the NOMC has the names and addresses of many great musicians. You
see, the artists have been coming to their FREE health clinic for many years now. The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is determined to keep Louisiana Music Alive! To donate, contact:

NOMC Emergency Fund
c/o SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.
103 Independence Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
Office: (337) 989-0001
finance@swlahec.com
www.swlahec.com


Recording Academy: Musicares

If you wish to specifically help musical artists and those who help get the music from their instruments to our ears, the Recording Academy website includes links to donate to this special fund.

The MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund assists music people impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Assistance includes basic living expenses such as shelter, food, utilities, transportation; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills, medications; clothing; instrument and recording equipment replacement; relocation costs; school supplies for students; insurance payments and more. To donate, please contact MusicCares.

And on a related note, Jazz at the Bistro is sponsoring a concert from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Sunday, September 18.to raise money for the Tipitina's Fund, which assists New Orleans musicians. Featured performers will include Erin Bode, Mardra and Reggie Thomas, Dave Venn, The Bosman Twins, Montez Coleman, Gene Dobbs Bradford and Willie Akins. Tickets are available for a minimum donation of $20 per person, and all proceeds will go to the Fund. In addition, Mike Mitchell, proprietor of The Bistro in Grand Center Restaurant, has agreed to donate 50% of the revenue on all food purchased during the fundraiser.

Finally, the New York Times had a couple of interesting articles about New Orleans musicians in the wake of the hurricane and flooding. The first looks at at what it will take to keep the NOLA music scene alive, and the second describes how the disaster has affected the iconic Preservation Hall Jazz Band. (Though the Times requires registration, these links are supposed to work even for non-registered users.)