Just in time for the holidays, Jazz Bridge is selling their cherished jazz calendar to help jazz and blues musicians in the Greater Philadelphia Metro Area in crisis. Over the years, Jazz Bridge has helped with medical and dental care, provided a drum set to drummer Billy James after he lost his set in a fire, provided legal assistance for drummer Charlie Rice, bought a washing machine for a distraught vocalist with children and no money, and provided eyeglasses for many musicians... so many people have been helped in so many different ways, and it's because of the generous donors to our organization.
The musicians that Jazz Bridge is honoring this year are bassist Lee Smith, vocalists Barbara Walker and Denise King, clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, trumpeter Red Rodney, Arkestra leader Sun Ra, drummer Chris Columbo, flutist Cindy LeBlanc, guitarist Steve Giordano, bandleader Leon Mitchell, Julian Pressley, and Mary “Cousin Mary" Alexander. These musicians are presented by jazz photographers from Philadelphia to around the world, such as Michael Wilderman, Bryan Moore, Richard Timbers II, and Anthony Sinagoga, to name a few. But the real “get" for Jazz Bridge this year was the iconic photo of Charlie Parker and Red Rodney at the Three Dueces in 1947, which was donated by the William P. Gottlieb collection. This photo is so special, we chose it for our cover.
These calendars are so elegantly put together (with historic quotes alongside each photo by the musicians themselves) that jazz historian Nat Hentoff called them “real collector's items" in his column for Jazz Times in 2007.
If you order before December 15th, the calendars are $20 (plus S&H), after that the price goes up to $25. Please consider this as a gift for someone special. Not only will you be giving something unique, but you will be helping our local artists who give the music community so much.
About Jazz Bridge
Jazz Bridge is a 501C3 nonprofit located in Glenside, PA. To order your calendar please visit our online store. (see links below)
