Jazz Nativity Documentary

BENDING TOWARDS THE LIGHT ... A JAZZ NATIVITY

Project by Anne Phillips
Composed and Arranged by Anne Phillips
Additional music by Bob Kindred and Dave and Iola Brubeck
Music Director, Bob Kindred
Staged and Directed by Beth and Tad Jones
Produced by Kindred Spirits.

Many of you who are receiving this have been long time fans of our yearly production of “Bending Towards the Light … A Jazz Nativity,” the Christmas story told through jazz. This is our 25th Anniversary! This year the show in New York will be at BB BKing’s on Thursday, December 23rd.

Through the years almost every jazz great of our time has been a part of it … Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck, Tito Puente, Clark Terry, Al Grey, “Sweets” Edison, Phil Woods, Stanley Turrentine, Paquito D’Rivera, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral , Dr. Billy Taylor, Hank Jones , Jon Faddis, Candido … tap-dancers Honey Coles, Harold Nicholas, Jimmy Slyde and Savion Glover, Charles Kuralt as our host … the list is too long! We have beautiful video of their performances some of which you can see on the promo above. Their love of the show and willingness to perform for much less than their usual fees has made it possible. We are so grateful to them.

A jazz documentarian, Gary Keys, is planning to do a documentary on the show using this extraordinary material combined with a new shoot of the show. The shoot will be in a non-club setting. A beautiful church has offered the space.

You who have experienced “The Jazz Nativity” by coming to the show, buying the CD, giving hundreds of inner-city children the opportunity to see it through our Jazz Nativity Children’s Project (which we hope to start again someday) and contributing sponsorship money to the show have become truly part of the Jazz Nativity family. Bob and I want to give you this opportunity to continue be a part of it ... a most important part … documenting the show and its history.

"The Jazz Nativity" is produced though Kindred Spirits, our not-for-profit organization therefore your donation is tax-deductable. The work of Kindred Spirits falls under the all-encompassing concept of THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC and includes Children's Jazz Choirs for disadvantaged children, SING! SING! SING! a Great American Songbook Sing-In and a musical environmental piece, "What Are We Doing To Our World?"

Our budget for producing the show for the shoot is $15,000 which will be used for payment to the artists, directors, our tech people and some costume refurbishment. We have raised some of it. We hope that through Kickstarter we can raise $10,000.
Project location: New York, NY

From: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1253300716/jazz-nativity-documentary