Photo courtesy of Joe Tessmer Photography of Fairfax
Other than listening to jazz in the waiting room of your Northern Virginia law firm, you might not find the fine arts scene and legal worlds too tightly woven. What’s more, you might not expect your defense attorney to, say, be the next big philanthropist.
Yet in its 12th year of existence, the Jazz 4 Justice concert—a charity co-chartered by the Fairfax Law Foundation’s Edward Weiner and George Mason University jazz professor Jim Carroll—can be found at the crossroads of these three unlikely communities: jazz, law and charity.
“We feel that the Jazz 4 Justice fundraising model is catching on,” says creator Edward Weiner, president of the Fairfax Bar Association’s Board of Directors, “that is, the partnering between law, bar associations and the music community. And usually, the music community is through a university.”
When Weiner, previously a casual jazz listener, took his family to their first GMU jazz concert more than 12 years ago, he was shocked at the low attendance yet intrigued by the performance. When he made the connection between his organization’s charitable work (in the form of low-cost legal services, domestic abuse and at-risk teen programs and tours for public school students) and Mason’s music department—less than a mile from his office—everything clicked. “It’s really been a win-win situation,” says Weiner.
GMU Jazz Professor Jim Carroll / Photo courtesy of Joe Tessmer Photography of Fairfax
And the benefits are not only community-wide. “I had never had an eye over the fence before I got involved with Jazz 4 Justice,” says Weiner, who has had the opportunity of being a guest conductor a number of times. “I was a very casual jazz listener and this has opened up a new musical world for me as well. I owe that to Jim Carroll—sitting through his jazz rehearsals—because when I would, in past years, be a guest conductor I really took it to heart…I would, for weeks before the performance say, “Hey, I gotta go! Gotta go to a rehearsal.”
“When you’re in a rehearsal room like that with such talented musicians–let me tell you–it’s pretty infectious.”
The concert has been so successful that people literally didn’t want to leave at first. So a few years ago, Carroll decided to let young jazz enthusiasts, between elementary and high school age, bring their instruments and actually “jam” with GMU student-performers in a post-concert session.
This year’s show, titled “Nothin’ But the Blues,” features the traditional George Mason student-performers as well as guest conductor and Fairfax Law Foundation President Al Bonin. “The jazz program now is attracting a higher quality student-performer,” Edward mentioned, and had very high praise of the 2013 musicians. “Without question, in my 13 years of listening to the jazz study performers [at GMU], this year’s students are far and away the most gifted and talented musicians.”
Proceeds go to the Fairfax Law Foundation’s numerous community charities, Mason’s Music Scholarship Fund and the occasional stolen instrument. Similar programs have been held at James Madison University and in Prince William, and are planned for D.C. and at Newport News’ Christopher Newport University on March 22, 2014.
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
George Mason University Concert Hall
$20 adults, $15 seniors and students