New York City jazz musicians deserve a retirement like anyone else. Sign our petition to help them earn pension payments from NYC jazz clubs — at no cost to the clubs or musicians.
Check out Jason Crane’s Jazz Session podcast with Local 802 Jazz/J4JA! rep Todd Weeks. In this interview, Todd lays out the history of the J4JA! campaign and talks about the importance of pensions and other benefits for the musicians — young and old — who play jazz.
The play button is at the bottom of the page. Thank you Jazz Session!
Our goal was 2000 signers by October 1, and we’ve already met it. The J4JA! YouTube video has bumped from 500 to 755 views in the last two days! We have received over 300 petition signatures in the last 48 hours.
As we inch closer to our rally in NYC on Tuesday, Sept. 29 2PM @ Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South (between Thompson and Sullivan Streets), we strongly encourage you to do 3 things:
Rally Starts at 2PM
March to Jazz Clubs 4PM
Musicians — bring your instruments!
Support your local jazz artists! Let them know they are not alone in their struggle for dignity and respect.
“People think jazz musicians can live on love and air. Please support using tax relief money to help the musicians.”
“It is time for those of us who love the music to honor those who make by pushing to get them the benefits they so richly deserve. Jazz fans get behind this drive. Let the club owners know that we support this action. ”
“How very shortsighted of these clubs! Jazz is a major part of the New York heartbeat at night. Most of these clubs will make some effort to claim they ’support’ musicians and jazz, then pull a stunt like this. Perhaps some shame will move them to reconsider their selfishness.”
“Jazz musicians are an endangered species. Please give them an opportunity to live with dignity.”
“It’s 2009… many things within our society needs to reform — especially the live music scene in NYC… this city sets the tone for the world and its about time we start taking better care of the people. Musicians are the gatekeepers to humanity, yet so many of us struggle to make it through the week financially… club reform would help us out immensely. It’s time for change.”
“All workers need benefits and pensions so they can live healthy lives with dignity. The work of people who enrich and add so much pleasure to our lives is just as valuable as all others. Music isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessary component of a full life! Thank you for your talent and commitment.”
“Is it really any surprise that the club owners are keeping the benefits of the tax relief to themselves? They have continuously made profits on the back of musicians, of all stripes, for centuries. What J4JA is doing is getting the word out and raising public awareness, just like the Broadway musicians do when they have their issues with the producers. Keep the faith!”
“I would like to urge all NYC jazz clubs to reap the positive publicity benefits of doing the right thing by the jazz artists that they employ for their livelihood!!!”
We’re very pleased to present our new J4JA! video by awarding-winning filmmaker Ron Grunhut! Featuring performances and interviews from Jimmy Owens; Bob Cranshaw; Bernard Purdie; Reggie Workman; Randy Weston; Benny Powell; Junior Mance; Bertha Hope; Keisha St. Joan; Rudy Lawless; Marion Cowings; Vinnie Knight; Andy Schwartz, among others.
Please send it to your friends! YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeVKJJzHrgs
It’s time to take action — and we need your support. We’re holding a rally on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2pm, at Judson Memorial Church at 55 Washington Square South (West 4th Street) in Manhattan.
We need you to be there.
Since 2006, the Justice for Jazz Artists! campaign has repeatedly tried to engage NYC jazz clubs in constructive dialog to secure retirement benefits for working jazz musicians, to no avail.
We successfully lobbied for a tax break that would go to jazz musicians’ retirement payments, at no cost the clubs; and yet none almost none of the top NYC jazz clubs will even discuss the issue with us — these clubs include the Village Vanguard, the Jazz Standard, the Iridium, Birdland, the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, and (le) Poisson Rouge.
We’re holding this rally to put public pressure on the clubs, so that they do the right thing. After the rally, we will march to the clubs and deliver our petition with 1500 2000+ signatures of professional musicians, demanding that the clubs direct the forgiven tax dollars to musicians’ pension payments — a tax break that we lobbied for, and that the clubs are now enjoying.
J4JA! Rally and March on the Clubs
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2pm
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South (West 4th Street)
Greenwich Village, New York City
Musicians: Bring your instruments for our march to the clubs!
Email us at [email hidden; JavaScript is required] or call (212) 245-4802 X 185 for more information. Here’s our Facebook event.
Featuring Jimmy Owens, Bob Cranshaw, Bernard Purdie, Reggie Workman, Randy Weston, Benny Powell, Junior Mance and more! View now »
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