Dear Jazz Bridge Friends and Supporters,
“Where Is the Love?”
When international, Grammy Award-winning artists Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway sang that chart-topper, they shared a story with which we are all too familiar - hanging on to broken promises for a love that never comes. Of course, their heavenly voices made that reality a little easier to digest.
Well, Jazz Bridge knows a thing or two about keeping promises. The promise we make to our Philadelphia jazz community, to assist in times of crisis, is sacred. We know that support will be even more necessary in the coming months. Our relationship with you, our friends, is steadfast because, for over 16 years, through your concert attendance and generosity, you've demonstrated your love for what we do on behalf of local musicians.
This year, we found ourselves navigating around a pandemic that interrupted musicians’ lives as well as the revenue stream our concerts generate to help sustain them. Thanks to the generous support of people like you, in the past months we were able to provide honorariums to offset lost income from cancelled gigs, and pay bills for vital lifelines like phone, internet, mortgage payments, groceries, medications, and auto repairs. We actually doubled the dollar amount of assistance provided over the previous year. And with support from a local foundation, we’re now in the midst of distributing microgrants, to assist even more artists in need.
We can’t resume our neighborhood concerts yet, but we've launched our new virtual concert series, which you can view on our website and Facebook page each month until May 2021!!
So, as this year comes to a close and we approach the uncertainty of a new year, our community won't have to hang on to broken promises, or ever wonder - Where Is the Love? Because it is your love that has sustained Jazz Bridge for lo these many years, we thank you!!
Wishing you the most loving and safe Holiday Season!
Rhenda Fearrington
President, Jazz Bridge
