Jazz All-Star Made In America Concert Raises $260K

NEW YORK — Made In America, an all-star benefit concert presented by the jazz community, which honored the heroes and victims of September 11, raised $260,000 from the event and private donations by individuals, with other contributions continuing to be solicited. The Dec. 5 Town Hall concert, produced by the Jazz Alliance International (JAI), benefited the Robin Hood Foundation which helps New Yorkers in need.

According to JAI President Chuck Iwanusa, “The evening was a perfect manifestation of synergistic connectedness with all facets of the jazz industry present and everybody contributed to make our debut event a success.”

Michael Cuscuna, who served as artistic director stated, “Made In America was truly a very special one-time performance, and given the breadth of artists represented, the event proved how diverse and vital jazz still is in 2001.”

The MIA concert was highlighted by the first-time live collaboration between Bela Fleck and Cassandra Wilson, which yielded Wilson’s unique interpretation of the Woody Guthrie classic, “This Land Is Your Land,” including three rarely performed verses that emphasized the pre-eminence of individual rights.