[Dixielandjazz] Survivors/New Orleans Musicians

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

To all DJML's

This terrible tragedy affecting New Orleans and the Gulf is indeed a 
major loss and a shock to the world.   However let us ALL not sit idly 
by and just watch it.   There has never been a Better opportunity for 
us to go out and generate interest, publicity and paying gigs for OKOM.

I urge every band on this list to get out and volunteer to play at any 
and all LEGITIMATE  fundraising situations you can find, and don't sit 
by the phone waiting to be called, get out there and make a performance 
situation happen, at a church, a bar, a restaurant, wine and arts 
event, street fair, farmers market, car dealership sale, shopping 
center, ANY PLACE there are lots of people on any given day.   Organize 
yourselves, have business cards ready for booking paying gigs from it, 
not only are you helping to raise much needed money for victims that 
will need it for a long time, but you are promoting OKOM and your own 
band.   Set up a collection jar at every gig you already have booked, 
Connect with your local Red Cross, chapter or other relief organization 
that has agreed to assist.   Contact your local newspapers and radio 
stations TV stations, they are all willing to help right now while the 
world is watching.   What better opportunity could you possibly ask for 
to promote and Preserve OKOM, this unfortunate event is getting more 
world wide publicity and attention for New Orleans and the musical 
history than the Ken Burns Series did for a year.

Opportunity knocks everyday  somebody go answer the door.   Just by 
answering the door we can help many of our fellow musicians, many who 
are not so well known or financially able to have gotten out of New 
Orleans and Mississippi and have been wiped out of the future of New 
Orleans music.   Many of our favorites have gotten out because they 
were on tour, or had the wherewithall and the means to get out,  some 
of them have insurance that will possibly replace many things, but 
there are many others who do not and have nothing left but the clothes 
on their back, and a new Blues song burning in their hearts.

The musicians we can help today and next week and next month and next 
year just may be the next Louis Armstrong, or Buddy Bolden or Sydney 
Bichet, Jack Teagarden, but without help we or our grandkids may never 
hear of them.

So let's get motivated and get out there and play some OKOM and get all 
the jazz oblivious folks turned on to this music again, "If you PLAY 
They will COME"    So Get up off the couch and Go out and PLAY AS LOUD 
AS YOU CAN.

Anybody can give money,  We can give MUSIC to make many give money.  
That is why every benefit cause in the world calls on us,  This time 
make a difference Go play benefits to benefit Musicians.  But if we 
don't organize them who is going to do so ?

We have already posted several organizations information on the list 
that are specifically geared to help musicians, insist upon using them 
if possible, but do not turn down opportunities to perform functions 
for other legitimate organizations either, but do beware there will be 
no shortage of scams as well.    These tragic situations bring out the 
Best and the Worst in mankind, keep your eyes and ears open.


And yes it is OK to take out your expenses for doing it, nobody is 
going to fill your Gas tank for free, remember event he RED Cross, 
United Way and all the other organizations are paying their expenses, 
so while you may be donating your performance time, you are also 
promoting and advertising your band, booking other paid gigs from it, 
Selling CDs, T-Shirts, and raising money to keep promoting more events 
to raise more money.   You can play a gig every day or night, two or 
three in a day if you get motivated.    You will never have a better 
Media opportunity than right now to promote OKOM and your band.   If 
you play for a legitimate organization for Free, ASK for a receipt for 
your donation of time based upon your legitimate performance fees for 
in-kind contributions, and yes it will be tax deductible, and any tax 
man who tells you it is not make him prove it, stand up and fight for 
it you will win especially if you have the receipt, for it.


Good luck to you all.

Tom Wiggins


-----Original Message-----
From: LeslieMRag at aol.com
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 00:59:32 EDT
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Survivors/New Orleans Musicians

    Just a note to say that, thanks to many kind people who've written 
to  us,
The Mississippi Rag's bulletin board has a great deal of information on 
 the
whereabouts and/or safety of New Orleans musicians, including the list 
from
WWOZ
(which has done a tremendous job in compiling the list). We also just  
posted
a list from an English correspondent similar to WWOZ's--a lot of  
duplication
but a few new names and some added comments. We're in the process of
switching to a new format for our bulletin board, so you may get either 
the new
or
old board. The same info is on both boards, so you won't miss anything 
if the
conversion to the new board is completed by the time you log on. The 
best way
to  access it is by going the our home page at _www.mississippirag.com_
(http://www.mississippirag.com)  and clicking on  "Bulletin board." 
It's a
relief to
know that so many of our musical friends have  found safe haven, but my 
heart
aches for them over the loss of their homes and  home base livelihood.

Leslie Johnson
_editor at mississippirag.com_ (mailto:editor at mississippirag.com)   OR
_lesliemrag at aol.com_ (mailto:lesliemrag at aol.com)
_______________________________________________
Dixielandjazz mailing list
Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz