Playing Our Parts @ Dizzy's 2/22/11

I saw Ron Carter was going to be there and I like giving to the Jazz Foundation of America. This particular benefit night is in memory of Dennis Irwin and the proceeds go to cancer screenings, which will hopefully allow early detection and treatment. I'm impressed with what this foundation is able to accomplish.

The $100 admission included a tasting plate with a big piece of fried chicken on some greens, a portion of iceberg wedge with blue cheese dressing, and cooked salmon on polenta (or something like polenta). It also included a glass of cabernet or chardonay.

The show was great and a lot of fun. There were 3 different ensembles, each doing a 1/2 hour set. Then a 15 min encore grand finale.

The first band was Benny Green's Monk's Dream. They will be playing Dizzy's the rest of the week. It's a fabulous quartet with Kenny Washington on drums, Peter Washington on bass, Jesse Davis on sax and Benny Green playing some sick piano.

Next up was Ron Carter's Golden Striker Trio with Mulgrew Miller on piano and Russell Malone on guitar. I loved the interplay of the bass and guitar. All solos and everything else about this ensemble was stellar.

The final band was Joe Lovano on sax, John Scofield on guitar, Matt Wilson on drums and Matt Penman on bass. It was great. I even found myself enjoying Sco at times. There were also times when I was somewhat bored with him - that's pretty typical for me. All in all, I did enjoy the mini set.

They finished it all off with the last band joined by Joe Lovano, Jesse Davis and Michael Irwin, Dennis's son on trumpet. The trumpet was great, Sco was OK, and it was nice and lively.

All in all, a nice, fun, life-saving evening.


Playing Our Parts: A Benefit For The Jazz Foundation of America
(In Memory of Dennis Irwin)
w/John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Ron Carter, Russell Malone, Mulgrew Miller, Benny Green, Jesse Davis, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington, and more

Tue, Feb 22

7:30pm & 10pm
Admission is $100 per person and includes one complimentary glass of wine and passed hors d'oeuvres. A full a la carte menu will also be available.
The price of admission, minus $25, is tax-deductible. All proceeds benefit The Jazz Musicians' Emergency Fund.

"Many musicians are in that enormous group of self-employed individuals who have no health insurance and this can be a killer. People don't want to get regular checkups because of the fees. As was the case with our friend Dennis Irwin, a serious illness can go undiagnosed until it's too late. We hope to raise a significant amount of money to support the programs that help so many musicians with so few alternatives. Join us." - John Scofield

John Scofield, guitar; Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone; Ron Carter, bass; Russell Malone, guitar; Mulgrew Miller, piano; Benny Green, piano; Peter Washington, bass; Kenny Washington, drums; Jesse Davis, alto saxophone; and more

If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit jazzfoundation.org

Or send checks to:
The Jazz Foundation of America
322 West 48th Street, 6th floor
New York, NY 010036
(Make checks payable to: The Jazz Foundation of America.)

Jazz at Lincoln Center thanks Great Performances for their contributions to the Playing Our Parts Benefit Concert.