PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — After Philadelphia accountant Alan Segal made it through 13 hours of brain surgery and 33 days of recovery in the hospital, he faced a long road to returning to a full life.

Music was crucial to that recovery, as were the relationships he built with new friends. The path that Segal followed led to his creation of what many have called Philadelphia’s most unique non-profit performing arts group – The Jazz Sanctuary.

Now in its 12th year, The Jazz Sanctuary continues to celebrate their 750th live performance this November with five concerts In Philadelphia and its suburbs, including a special celebration of that performance milestone on Wednesday, Nov. 29th on the Main Line.

That night, performers from The Jazz Sanctuary return to Main Line Unitarian Church (816 S. Valley Forge Rd., Devon, PA 19333) for a very special evening of the always-popular “Jazz & Joe,” with live music, coffee and treats which begins at 7:30 p.m. Among the musicians and artists expected to perform are The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet, including James Dell’Orefice (piano), Leon Jordan Sr. (drums), Randy Sutin (vibes/percussion), Eddie Etkins (tenor saxophone) and Alan Segal (bass). They will be joined by Lynne Riley (saxophone), Stan Slotter (trumpet), Brent White (trombone) and vocalist Greg Farnese. This concert performance is free of charge.

“I wanted to bring jazz music into a space that usually doesn’t get that music,” Segal, now 82 years old, recounted. “Jazz is usually in clubs, right? And there’s usually a cost to it – cover charge, food, drinks, maybe even parking. I wanted a place to play where people could come in and listen to jazz for free. Playing in churches, especially, brings people who might not ever visit a jazz club into a comfortable place. I wanted this music to touch people that haven’t experienced it, hear it, and have that same sense of community that brought me out of my recovery and back to life after my brain surgery.

“It’s my way of giving back, because so many people gave me something during that long period of rehabilitation and recovery,” said Segal. “So, I put together the people, the artists, the website, started a 501 (c) 3, all that work – in retirement! – and the result is that we have brought music to an amazing number of people. Over 27,700 visits to our events in 12 years – that’s all the proof I need that we’re doing something good!”

Additional highlights of this month’s schedule include:

• Thursday, November 2, The Jazz Sanctuary returns to Bucks County for an evening of “Jazz & Joe “at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation (1505 Makefield Rd., Morrisville, PA 19067). This 90-minute performance, which begins at 7 p.m., features The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet, including James Dell’Orefice (piano), Leon Jordan Sr. (drums), Randy Sutin (vibes/percussion), Eddie Etkins (saxophone) and Alan Segal (bass). This concert performance is free of charge.

• Sunday, Nov. 5, it’s a morning version of “Jazz & Joe” at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (654 N. Easton Rd., Glenside, PA 19038) featuring The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet. This concert performance begins at 10 a.m. within the Sunday services and is free of charge.

• On Thursday, Nov. 9, “Jazz & Joe” returns to Trinity Episcopal Church (Routes 202 & 413, Buckingham, PA 18912). This 90-minute performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m., features The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet, and admission is free of charge.

• On Sunday, Nov. 12, bassist Bruce Kaminski and Friends will perform on behalf of The Jazz Sanctuary at Grace Epiphany Episcopal Church (224 East Gowen Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119), beginning at 3 p.m.

Sponsorships and donations to support the mission of The Jazz Sanctuary continue to be vital to the growth of the organization. The Jazz Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings jazz music and music education programs free of charge to charitable organizations, community centers, and houses of worship, among others.

Since its founding by Segal in 2011, The Jazz Sanctuary has brought over 750 live performances to people throughout Philadelphia and the neighboring Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs. In addition, the organization brings their music to healthcare facilities, including regular performances for the Council on Brain Injury and others in the region.

Charitable events in the five-county area have served organizations such as Friendship Circle, Cradle of Hope, Ronald McDonald House, Interfaith Hospital Center of the Main Line and Council on Brain Injury and Re-Med golf outing and therapy sessions.

Funding for The Jazz Sanctuary comes from individual donors as well as sponsors, including CBIZ, Compass Ion Advisors, Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, Quantum Think and DMG Global.

Additional information about The Jazz Sanctuary is available at http://www.thejazzsanctuary.com.

Jim DeLorenzo
Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations
+1 215-266-5943
[email protected]
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Interview with Alan Segal about The Jazz Sanctuary