Rifftides has already posted a note about The Chicago Jazz Archive’s list of New Orleans musicians found safe. To that I add two more online musician information lists:
WWOZ radio’s List of New Orleans Musicians Who Survived the Hurricane — you can communicate with the station via email at wwoz@wwoz.org or by leaving messages on their message board
and
JazzAscona’s News About Our Musician Friends — If you have information to contribute, end an email to info@jazzascona.ch
The Jazz Educators’ website has information about how to help musicians and music teachers. Go here and click on Hurricane Relief Zone. That takes you to the Hurricane Assistance and Relief Efforts page where, after brief paragraphs about How To Help and How To Ask For Help, you’ll see a green Enter Community button; click on it and and then click on Guest (no registration required) to read the postings in the Conference area under Hurricane Assistance. (If you want to post a message yourself, you will need to register.)
Among the messages I saw there, which included individuals offering support and refuge, and a statement from Recording Academy President Neil Portnow about NARAS/Music Cares Hurricane Relief, was this posting from 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
NYC 10036Director: Wendy Oxenhorn
Phone: 212-245-3999 Ext. 21email contact: Joyce@jazzfoundation.org
website: www.jazzfoundation.org
To make an online CREDIT CARD DONATION OR PLEDGE:
go here and click bottom right corner of page where it says “instant pledge”Thank you, from our hearts.