Sting and Christian McBride performed together at The Ralph Pucci International Showroom in New York, Feb. 28.
The Feb. 28 fundraiser for the Montclair-based educational organization Jazz House Kids that featured Sting raised more than $800,000, according to Jazz House Kids, which has released a 90-second showing some of the best moments. You can watch it below.
Sting and bassist Christian McBride, who have worked together many times over the years, performed together and discussed music at the event, which was held at The Ralph Pucci International Showroom in New York and attended by 200. Other performers included Jazz House Kids students.
Sting said, in a statement released by Jazz House Kids: “I’d like to offer my appreciation for the important work that Jazz House Kids is doing: a gift to our community and also the entire world, the gift of music. They say that music education is usually the first thing that is cut when there are cuts. It’s not some frivolous extra; it’s so important for kids to play music. It makes them smarter.”
The Jazz House Soulful Voices Choir opened the show with “Fields of Gold” and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” Sting performed “Roxanne,” “Moon Over Bourbon Street,” “Walking on the Moon,” “Message in a Bottle” and “Every Breath You Take” with McBride and others. Then the choir returned to the stage for the grand finale, “Fragile.”
Jazz House Kids was founded by, and is run by, McBride’s wife, the jazz singer Melissa Walker. McBride is its artistic director, as well as a board member.
The show was part of an annual fundraising series that has featured, in previous years, Norah Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Laurie Anderson, Gregory Porter, John Pizzarelli and Esperanza Spalding.
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