New Orleans isn't just the birthplace of jazz; it's also home to a huge number of working musicians. Many of the jazz, funk, blues and R&B musicians who made their homes in the Big Easy or along the Gulf Coast lost everything they had when Hurricane Katrina hit.
The loss of not only their homes, but also their instruments and equipment left many without any means to make a living. Most of the clubs where the music flourished have closed, leaving them without work of any kind. Now they need the help of music lovers to get back on their feet and return to the stage.
On Oct. 25 a benefit concert for these musicians will be held at Akasaka's jazz club B Flat. The charities for the event are Tipitina's and the Jazz Foundation of America. Tipitina's has long been a career-making club. With a bare-bones interior and a big dance floor to get down on, the club's hot lineups have been a mainstay of the music scene in New Orleans for 30 years. After the hurricane, they set out to locate and help musicians. The Jazz Foundation of America has been helping musicians for 16 years. They pay for insurance, offer loans in emergencies, provide legal assistance and generally assist jazz musicians in need.