[Dixielandjazz] A High School Benefit Concert for Jazz Foundation of America New Orleans Fund.

[Steve barbone]

Out of the horns of babes. Great story from Jonathan Russell's Mom about a
benefit performance. Oh to be a young jazz musician again and re examine my
main reason for playing jazz . . . "To get chicks." :-) VBG.

Hey, they raised a fair chunk of change too. Wonder if many more schools
around the country are doing benefits. Hey Jazz Educators of America. get
you acts and axes together.

And all of us band leaders should be doing benefits too.

Cheers,
Steve


Hey Steve-

Well, here's a cute story. I thought it might be a nice idea to get a
benefit for the JFA together with the jazz /music teachers at Fieldston,
they jumped on it. Jonathan was the only lower school kid who played one HS
girl sang Basin Street Blues, the teachers did Summertime, a funk jazz band
did some New Orleans funk, and then there was Jonathan on Yellow Dog and Do
You Know What it means. They did a "pre concert" Thursday AM at the HS to
entice people to come Sunday. The HS jazz teacher had never heard him,
although he knew about him, but put him in the back of his mind. The HS
teacher NOW wants him to play with the HS jazz band (no kidding!)-the funk
band were in awe of him (the leader actually told Jonathan that it was an
honor to play with him), and my son is officially the "New High School Heart
Throb"!! It was a mob scene after he played- crowded halls, and people
stopping him and applauding all over. Apparently, Kathleen Turner's daughter
(who goes to Fieldston) wants to marry him. The Dean says there were LOTS of
comments from adolescent girls about him.

As for the benefit, we didn't have as much of an audience as we wanted,
but we did raise $1170 for the JFA, and are making a CD out of the
concert with procees to go to the JFA.