Contact: Lisa Cooney Carter, Benefit Organizer
(908) 419-3624
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2007
New York, NY - Friends and colleagues of the late New York drummer, Lance Carter, announce a benefit evening of performances by leading New York Cityavant-garde and experimental musicians. The Lance Carter Memorial Benefit for the Musicians Emergency Fund of the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) will take place at the downtownmusic club, THE KNITTING FACTORY at 74 Leonard Street,New York, NY on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 7:00 pm. The event will be held in the Main Space. All proceeds from the concert will benefit the JFA’s Musicians Emergency Fund, which has served over 3000 musician emergency cases since Hurricane Katrina, including 1300 regular elder emergency cases due to age and/or illness, as well as employing, housing and caring for hundreds of New Orleans’ musicians. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at the Knitting Factory box office, or online at Doors will open at 6:30 pm.
The evening is organized as a benefit in memory of the late drummer,Lance Carter, a long-timeplayer in the downtown New York “avant” music scene, career musicianand client of The Jazz Foundation. Mr. Carter succumbed to the very rare bone marrow disease, amyloidosis, last November at age 51. The Jazz Foundation provided assistance to the musician and his family during his terminal illness and the benefit has been planned by Mr. Carter’s wife. In addition to providing financial assistance to defray uninsured medical and living expenses, The Jazz Foundation introduced the Carter’s to a network of other musician aid organizations which united and offered the family ongoing support for the duration of Mr. Carter’s illness.
Lance Carter is best known for touring and recording with avant-garde guitaristmaster, Sonny Sharrock, including their duet on the theme to the Cartoon Network animated series “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast”. He also recorded and toured and with jazz vocalist, Cassandra Wilson, with whom he appears on the Grammy® nominatedBlue Note release, “Blue Light Till Dawn.”
Mr. Carter collaborated with all of the musicians performingat the benefit, including guitarist Marc Ribot;Elliot Sharp’sedgy blues band, Terraplane;vocalist Eric Mingus;renowned bass player Percy Jones & Tunnels;experimental improvisers,The Harriet Tubman Bandfeaturing Mr. Carter’s cousin, Brandon Ross;guitarist Robert Musso, andviolinist Charles Burnham. Also reuniting for the evening will beSons of Sharrock, featuring former members of The Sonny Sharrock Band, playing together under this billing for the only second time since Mr. Sharrock’s untimely death in 1994. Other special guests will be announced. The emcee of the evening is Bruce Gallanter of Downtown Music Gallery.
Lisa Cooney Carter 27A Powderhorn Court Woodridge, New Jersey 07095
The beneficiary of the event, The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA), is a New York City based national non-profit organization, founded in 1989. The JFA’s Musicians Emergency Fund provides financial assistance and support services for elderly jazz musicians, and those facing illness or crisis. The Jazz Foundation of America is located at 322 West 48th Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10036, (212) 245-3999, The Executive Director of the Jazz Foundation of America is Wendy Oxenhorn. The benefit organizer is Lance Carter’s wife, Lisa Cooney Carter.
FULL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:*
7:00 pmROBERT MUSSO & FRIENDS: Robert Musso (guitar), Raoul Bjorkenhiem (guitar), Sim Cain(drums), Dave Dreiwitz (bass), Elliot Levin(saxes/flutes), John Lunar Richey(words)
7:45 pmSONS OF SHARROCK*: Pheeroan akLaff (drums), David Snider (keys), Charles Baldwin (bass), Erik Lawrence (winds)
8:30 pmHARRIET TUBMAN BAND: Brandon Ross (guitar), Melvin Gibbs (bass), JT Lewis (drums)
9:15 pmCHARLES BURNHAM
9:30 pmPERCY JONES & TUNNELS: Percy Jones (bass), Marc Wagnon (midi-vibes), Walker Adams (drums)
10:15 pmMARC RIBOT
11:00 pmERIC MINGUS with Catherine Sikora (tenor sax)
11:15 pmELLIOT SHARP’S TERRAPLANE: Elliot Sharp (guitar), Dave Hofstra (bass), Curtis Fowlkes(trombone), Alex Harding (baritone sax), Tony Lewis (drums), Eric Mingus (vocals)
*Other special guests to be announced. Schedule and line up are subject to change
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LISTINGS INFORMATIONLance Carter Memorial Benefit for the
Musicians Emergency Fundof the Jazz Foundation of America
THE KNITTING FACTORYMAIN SPACE, at 74 Leonard Street, New York, NY
Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 7:00 pm.
Admission is $25 at the Knitting Factory box office or via
Lisa Cooney Carter 27A Powderhorn Court Woodridge, New Jersey 07095
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