The New Orleans Night of Jazz benefit concert for the Gulf Coast hurricane victims, Monday night, November 21, featured jazz and Dixieland-style music performed by The Judson Jazz Band, Newtown High School’s jazz combo, The Dixie Cats, and the Newtown Middle School Jazz Project, as well as the piano styling of Mr Lee.

For two hours, the audience was transported to the cabarets of New Orleans and the music that made the city famous. The Judson Jazz Band kicked off the evening with the music of jazz great Thelonius Monk.

“We put out the call for participants just five or six weeks ago,” said Michelle Hiscavich, director of music for Newtown public schools, “and Tony Gaudioso, who used to be with the foreign language department at Newtown High School, arranged for the Judson Jazz Band to take part. It was wonderful.”

The Judson Jazz Band is made up of local musicians who perform professionally conducted by Mr Gaudioso. Saxophonist Ralph Judson’s smooth tones eased the audience through several pieces, aided by great back up and improvisation from lead guitarist Gregg Ressler, rhythm guitarist Tony Guadioso, bassist Steve Barrett, and the steady rhythm of drummer Mark Stoltze.

Next to take the stage were The Dixie Cats from Newtown High School in their debut performance. The tight playing demonstrated throughout the many Dixieland tunes belied the fact that this group, made up of NHS juniors, seniors, and music staff, had formed only recently, specifically for the benefit concert. From rags to struts, saxophone player Jeremy Hodge, Nick Drabik on trumpet, drummer Sean Ryan, pianist Gavin Newton Tanzer, Kurt Eckhardt on trombone, and Ed Wojotowicz on clarinet had the audience tapping their toes and doing a little chair dancing.

Those folks who worked up an appetite nodding in time to the music the first half of the evening were rewarded during intermission by pastries provided by Brian Neumeyer and the staff of the NHS culinary program. Coffee kept the audience, each of whom had donated $25 per ticket for the event, “jazzed” for the upcoming renditions of classic and contemporary compositions performed by Mr Lee, and the NMS Jazz Project under the direction of Mark Mahoney.

A remarkable performance by the NMS youngsters greeted the audience. The select group of 21 young musicians have played together only since October, but soloists on a variety of instruments received resounding applause as the group made its way skillfully through half a dozen selections.

The music paved the way to the presentation by NMS Principal Diane Sherlock to AmeriCares director of special events, Katherine Bequary, of the money raised through ticket sales and sponsorships ranging from $50 to $1,000. The choice of AmeriCares as the recipient of the benefit was made easy, said Ms Sherlock, when the committee read that 98 percent of the money raised goes directly to persons in need. AmeriCares provides immediate emergency medical care, supplies, and disaster relief aide to people around the world. Its policy of maintaining an extremely low overhead consistently makes the organization one of the most efficient nonprofit charities.

Ms Bequary provided an update, saying that as of Monday, November 21, AmeriCares had provided more than $7 million in supplies and relief to Gulf Coast victims. “The money you have donated tonight,” she said, “will go far to help. Thank you.”

Despite the rain that met concertgoers on their way out, it was clear that everyone was “In The Mood,” the final melody of the jazz concert.

Of the concert’s obvious success, said Ms Hiscovich, “It was a chance to remember how lucky we are. What a great gift for the Thanksgiving season.”