PATTI
AUSTIN AND THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT TOGETHER
AT CARNEGIE HALL FOR THE WHITEWELD FOUNDATION
“FOR ELLA” tribute
concert to Ella Fitzgerald performed as a benefit for
children’s charities. Pre-concert fashion show
was an added highlight.
NEW YORK, NY, February
10th, 2005 — Carnegie
Hall reverberated with the sounds of musical magic
as the legendary Patti Austin teamed up with the equally
legendary Count Basie Orchestra to perform the music
of the immortal Ella Fitzgerald in a tribute to the
pioneer jazz diva. The “For Ella” benefit
concert sponsored by The Whiteweld Foundation and co-sponsored
by Citizens Community Bank of Ridgewood, NJ raised
money for the charities Building with Books and The
New York Therapeutic Riding Center.
With Ella Fitzgerald’s long association with
Count Basie, and Patti Austin’s tribute album “For
Ella” and her musical extravaganza “Beboperella” (to
say nothing of her musical pedigree as the goddaughter
of Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington), the teaming
of these two was a natural. Radio personality Joey
Reynolds, the host of 710 WOR-AM’s popular Leader
of The Royal Order of the Night People show, kicked
off the concert. The audience was wowed by rousing
performances of Basie and Ella standards including “Too
Close for Comfort,” “Our Love is Here to
Stay,” “Miss Otis Regrets,” “Satin
Doll,” “How High The Moon” and of
course “A Tisket, A Tasket.”
As an added treat, Doncaster, the exclusive women’s
clothing line and a supporter of the Whiteweld Foundation,
held a fashion show to highlight its upcoming collection.
The show opener “April in Paris” served
as the perfect backdrop to the fashions. Doncaster
also donated Ms. Austin’s beautiful outfit.
Star of the fashion show was longtime friend of Whiteweld
Maxine Carter, a dancer, actress, talk show host,
author and a 40-year show business veteran. Fran
Rossman from The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation
brought one of Ella’s prized gowns to display
at the post-show reception, and it is now on permanent
display at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers
University.
Notable among the attendees
was humanitarian, venture capitalist, and television
producer, Lucia Kaiser,
who’s raising $50 million for a film on the early
years of jazz giant Louis Armstrong. Aside from jazz
aficionados of all stripes and ages, the audience included
board members from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation,
Jazz Institute of America, Jazz at Lincoln Center,
Louis Armstrong House, Louis Armstrong Education Foundation,
Jazz Museum in Harlem, Institute of Jazz Studies at
Rutgers University, and the National Museum of American
History – Smithsonian, plus members of Bette
Midler’s NY Restoration Project and Arts Horizons.
Middle school students from Building with Books, Arts
Horizons, NY Therapeutic Riding Center, Calhoun School
and Chess in the Schools were also in attendance along
with contest winners from CD 101.9FM Radio and the
NY Resident.
17 year old Jasmin Noel,
a senior & class president
from Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, CT,
and president of the school’s Building with Books
chapter, addressed the audience. She spoke about Building
with Books’ mission to empower American youth
to make a positive difference both here and abroad
while helping people of developing countries increase
their self-reliance through education.
All in all, Carnegie
Hall was filled with a night of wonderful music,
beautiful fashion and worthy causes – a
fitting tribute to “the first lady of song.”
About The Whiteweld Foundation.
The mission of the Whiteweld Foundation is to promote
the health, education, and welfare of children in our
communities throughout the United States and abroad.
Funds raised are distributed directly and through charitable
organizations dedicated to protecting and nurturing
children everywhere.
http://www.thewhiteweldfoundation.org/
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