Keeping the Music Healthy

When asked for advice from aspiring students of music, a good musician friend recommends plenty of sleep and a healthy diet. Having recently celebrated his 50th year in music, Quincy Jones clearly developed healthier habits than so many of his jazz colleagues we lost tragically early in their careers. Health and music took center stage last week when Jones was awarded the first annual Music For a Better Life Award from Health Corps®, the health education non-profit founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz (which employs several of my friends).

In your basic sheik lower Manhattan black-tie gala, many of the beautiful and glamorous from the sports and entertainment worlds came out to join Dr. Oz to pay tribute to Jones and Broadway legend Ben Vereen, including L.L. Cool J, who made the presentation to the Grammy winning producer and big band leader. It was an event that focused welcome attention on the relationship between music and health. Unfortunately, many musicians in need have been devastated by healthcare emergencies, but Jones is a member of the Advisory Committee of an organization dedicated to helping in such times of crisis.

Thankfully, the Jazz Foundation of America has been a life-line for jazz musicians in dire straits—artists without insurance or pensions, who were never properly compensated for their work. JFA has been there to forestall evictions and to provide emergency medical treatment. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, their caseload went from the hundreds to the thousands, yet they worked tirelessly to bring emergency relief to the musicians carrying on the apostolic jazz tradition in the city where the music was born.

This Thursday at 8:00 PM, JFA holds their annual Great Night in Harlem concert uptown at the Apollo Theater. Featuring a diverse program of multi-genre artists, including Lou Reed, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Henry Butler, and Gene Bertoncini, this year’s concert promises plenty of blues, broadly defined. Of course, the line-up is subject to change right until the final curtain falls, but JFA always delivers a show well-worth the price of admission.

Ticket information can be found at JFA’s website here. You can also send a donation to:

Jazz Foundation of America
322 W. 48th St., 6th Floor
New York, NY 10036

Photo released by HealthCorps®: LL Cool J presents the Music for a Better Life award to Quincy Jones at HealthCorps Green Garden Gala, Thursday, April 30, 2009. (Manhattan Society/Corrigan-Zief)

Plugs

You, the J.B. Spins reader, are a coveted audience. Dozens of press releases hit my in-box every day, announcing events and other stuff to plug. Here’s a quick round-up of some interesting things I will pass along.

The first comes via a post from Karol. Evidently a friend of hers will try to eat more than a dog to raise money for a charity. I don’t really get how that works, and don’t really want to. However, the charity looks impressive. Pups for Peace sounds like a touchy-feely hippy outfit, but what they do is really cool. They train bomb-sniffing dogs to combat Palestinian suicide/homicide bombers. This is work that saves lives. Eat up, man.

I know several people at Health Corps, a non-profit founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz to provide health education and mentoring in high schools. On Friday the 18th, they are sponsoring “Saints and Spinners,” a 24-hour stationary bike marathon in Grand Central, featuring different celebrity riders throughout the day, and hopefully setting a Guinness World Record. Guest spinners scheduled to appear include: Miss USA Rachel Smith, Miss Universe Riyo Mori, and Miss Teen USA Hilary Cruz. I’m just saying.

If you’re looking for the perfect accessory, consider a Cambio bracelet. All the cool kids are wearing them. Seriously, these young people are as cool as cool gets, defying Castro’s thugs for the sake of their country’s future. Cambio means change, which Cuba desperately needs. It has become their slogan, which they have worn on white bracelets, at tremendous risk to their lives and safety. All people of good conscience should wear one in solidarity. (I do.)

On a lighter note, I expect to post a review of John Regen’s latest CD early next week—I’m just not done chewing on it yet. Regen has an impressive jazz background, but his own sessions are more in the singer-songwriter vein. He gigs at the Cutting Room tomorrow night at 9:30 PM, before leaving on a European tour. Check out the tunes on his myspace page, and if you don’t have plans, consider going. Look for a review of Let It Go here soon.

Most of us have the 21st off for King Day, but not the staff of Merkin Hall. To celebrate their grand reopening, they are hosting a free Grand Piano Marathon of solo performances from 2:00 -8:00 PM. The scheduled artists include Anat Fort, one of the best jazz pianists on the scene today (her latest CD, A Long Story was one of the Top 10 of 2007), and New Orleans’ own up-and-coming jazz star Jonathan Batiste. I’ll be there for a while, at least (exit and re-entry will be allowed).

If there isn’t anything here to interest you, do not despair. I’ll have plenty more stuff by the end of the day.