The Jazz Foundation of America's "A GREAT NIGHT IN HARLEM" to benefit its Jazz Musicians

“Imagine if they all had come together to play" -NPR's Marian McPartland, about the famous photograph “A Great Day in Harlem," taken by Art Kane, which first appeared in Esquire magazine 1958

The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) announces a very special one-time performance event featuring jazz royalty in a program titled “A Great Night In Harlem" set for Monday, September 24, 2001 at 7:00pm to be held at the Apollo Theater, 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. Representative Charles Rangel will introduce jazz patrons Bill Cosby and Gil Noble, who will serve as masters of ceremonies.

“There hasn't been an event like this since the 1950s," states one of the JFA's founders Herb Storfer. “Some of these players haven't seen one another for decades! Like that famous photograph, A Great Day In Harlem, this will be a living photograph of some of today's jazz legends to benefit the Jazz Foundation of America's Jazz Musicians' Emergency Fund," says Wendy Atlas Oxenhorn, JFA's executive director and the originator of this event.

Just a few of the musicians scheduled to appear (in alphabetical order) include: Ron Carter, Chika, George Coleman, Bob Cranshaw, Lou Donaldson, Nnenna Freelon, Frank Foster, Slide Hampton, Billy Hart, Louis Hayes, Roy Haynes, Percy Heath, Ahmad Jamal, Howard Johnson, Etta Jones, Junior Mance, Earl May, Jimmy Owens, Cecil Payne, Irene Reid, Ben Riley, Max Roach, Melvin Sparks, Clark Terry, Cassandra Wilson and Phil Woods.

These artists performing at the Great Night In Harlem concert will perform in support of the musicians who depend on The Jazz Musicians' Emergency Fund. In the past decade, the JFA has helped hundreds of musicians, getting them free health services, through their partnership with Englewood Hospital & Medical Center's Dizzy Gillespie Cancer Institute and Harlem Hospital, which covers thousands of dollars worth of medical care to JFA's jazz musicians. The JFA also assists in staving off malnutrition, paying rent arrears and preventing evictions, and this year, began to get employment for these older musicians/historians by arranging performances in the public schools, introducing jazz to thousands of children.

Honorary Advisory and Board Members include Lionel Hampton, George Avakian, Wynton Marsalis and executive board member, Dr. Frank Forte from Englewood Hospital and Medical Center's Dizzy Gillespie Cancer Institute.

E*TRADE will be underwriting a portion of the event. Rick White, producer from Festival Productions Inc., will be assisting in coordinating the concert. The Jazz Alliance Int'l (JAI), a not for profit industry trade group, will also serve in part as an event sponsor, The Jazz Journalists Association, which produced the Jazz Awards 2001 in benefit of the JFA's Musicians' Emergency Fund at Birdland last June, will also lend their help. Their support will be collaboration in an unprecedented alliance to establish this event of significance for the entire American arts and music community, focusing on jazz's veteran artists and entertainers, whose impact on life in the U.S. is immeasurable.

“We're delighted to support what promises to be a remarkable evening," says Carl Horton, Absolut Vice President. Absolut has been a leader in corporate support of the arts and creativity since 1985.

Tickets will go on sale Monday, August 13, available through TicketMaster @ 212-307-7171 and the Apollo Theatre box office @ 212-531-5300. Limited Golden Circle Orchestra seating will be priced at $250 with additional tickets set at $100, 50, and $35.

Musician Quotes

“Life-water