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Over 45 NYC singer/songwriters and poets including works by FDNY, PAPD, NYPD & EMS came together for a tribute/benefit concert for songs written about, since, concerning 9/11.
Songwriters:
Joe Bowie, John Mascali (brother Rescue 5 firefighter), Ann Klein, Leni Stern, Daryl Thuroff (WTC Ground Zero Relief), Ina May Wool, Art Halperin, Al Maddy, Nancy Hershatter (Children's Music Network), Brian Muni (American Songwriter), Valerie Ghent (WTC Ground Zero Relief), Donna Stearns, Thom Manno, Sol Weber, Dina Fanai, David Patillo/Marc Blatte, Stanley Brown/Dice, Hughie Lynch (FDNY Squad 1), Kathleen Pemble (FDNY firefighter's wife/singersongwriter), Theresa Sareo, David Heitler-Klevans, Elisa Peimer, Elizabeth Jordan, Rosalinde Block (volunteer Engine 40/Ladder 35), Tracy Stark, Valerie Ghent
Poets & Readers:
Charles Borkhuis, Brenda Kahn (womenrock.com), Pat Doyle, Norma Hardy (PAPD), Mariella Coleman (PAPD), Fran Suarez (NYPD), Edith Gonzales (NYPD), Maggie Dubris (911 Paramedic), Lou Reed - poem read by Steve Buscemi, Frank Tedesso
Out Of The Pit poets: Marinelle Ringer, Kristina Krause (San Fransicsco), Lia Steele, John Everett Beck and words from Rhonda Roland Shearer, director WTC Ground Zero Relief
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From: Valerie Ghent
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002
Subject: WTC Ground Zero Relief benefit
Hello friends,
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who participated, attended and/or otherwise gave their support for the two 9/11 tribute concerts at The Cornelia Street Cafe on March 11th and March 25th, 2002. We raised $1700, most of which was put towards the matching grant offer we at WTC Ground Zero Relief have from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The rest of the money repaid the money I spent for the copies of 'word' (it was discounted but not free printing), the compilation of poems and lyrics of all the performed pieces. 'word' has already paid for itself in sales, and now 100% profits are given to WTC Ground Zero Relief.
If you did not yet get a chance to read the NY Times article and review—New American Blues, The Toll of 9/11" by Kirk Johnson—you can read it here.
Since the 9/11 tribute concerts we have been busy preparing for a larger benefit concert/auction to be held at The Knitting Factory on Monday, May 20. This will be a huge event: there will be not only music this time, but also an auction of WTC related items and.... a bachelor firemen's auction. (Yes, only real bachelors!)
Some of the songwriters performing on May 20th are from the previous concerts: Hughie Lynch (FDNY - Squad 1), Greg Parr (FDNY - Engine 58), Tom Ferranola (FDNY - Engine 163), Kathleen Pemble (her husband is a firefighter with Engine 73), Valerie Ghent (WTC Ground Zero Relief), and others.
We are planning another intimate concert(s) for the fall, but for this concert in May we will feature more uptempo music to suit the venue and the general mood, which is as the recovery at Ground Zero nears to a close, is understandably shifting.
At the same time, I am compiling a CD which we plan to have for release at the May 20 benefit. This will be a CD compilation of 15 artists featured at the 9/11 tribute concerts. Everything is being donated for this CD, the manufacturing, the printing of the artwork, the cover photo, the mastering; the songs were recorded either at home by the artists and/or on their own time in local studios, and submitted for consideration. I am putting the artwork togther myself as well so as not to incur any expense. The CD will be available on West Street Records and all proceeds will go to WTC Ground Zero Relief. (I still would like to make CD's available of the live concerts, but that will take more time and sponsorship or alternate donations.) This is not one of those 10% of proceeds go to charity, this is all donated - so all proceeds go to charity. And to a charity where we know first hand the funds will go to the right places. Over half of the songwriters on this CD are FDNY, PAPD or WTC volunteers.
[Side note: One of the songs on the CD was just recorded last Friday morning at Battery Studios, thank you Battery- PAPD Norma Hardy's poem, "The Men", which I put to music last month. We mic'd up the piano, set up the vocal mic, I played and sang...and 3 1/2 takes later had the track.]
The CD will complement the 'word' book, which is the compliation of all songs and poems performed at the two tribute concerts. The book 'word' is available for donation purchase from http://songwritersbeat.com, from the WTC Ground Zero warehouse, and at the Songwriter's Beat nights at the Cornelia Street Cafe. A .pdf file of 'word' is also available from http://songwritersbeat.com.
We have had an offer of a second printing of 'word', book bound style with real binding, with a colour cover, will keep you posted on this and availability.
So once again, thank you for your ongoing support. WTC Ground Zero Relief still needs you, we still are sending supplies to the site daily, we are helping to restore supplies to firehouses as well, we gave out the April tour tool bags and Carhartts the first week in April and are now ordering the supplies and tools for the May tour. Please visit the website for the most current information and needed supplies: http://wtcgroundzerorelief.org.
Spring is here already - or is this 80 degree day better known as summer? - and I hope this finds everyone well.
Love,
Val
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