Stepping up mightily

Joe Lovano

The jazz community has a proud tradition of jumping in to help out a great cause, particularly when it involves one of their own. They’re doing it again this weekend in northern New Jersey.  

Blue Note Records Chairman Emeritus Bruce Lundvall, the man who revived Blue Note as a powerful jazz label in 1984, has organized an all-star concert called the Sunrise Senior Living Jazz Festival. It is being held the afternoon and evening of Sunday, August 24, at Brighton Gardens of Saddle River.The Lundvall-produced lineup includes singers Norah Jones and Dianne Reeves, pianists Bill Charlap, Renee Rosnes and Chucho Valdés, guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Loeb, and saxophonists Ravi Coltrane, Javon Jackson and Joe Lovano, who is bringing his nonet.

All artists performing are playing pro bono. Proceeds from ticket sales going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease. 

Lundvall, 78, has a very personal interest in the cause. He is disabled because of Parkinson's disease, and has moved full-time into Brighton Gardens, the senior assisted living community where the festival is being held. Despite his health challenges, he remains very involved with the Blue Note label.It is great to see so many Blue Note artists rallying around their old boss and helping with this initiative. Tickets are on sale at Ticketbud.com.