1. What is Covenant Mercies, the organization benefiting from the event?
Covenant Mercies is a gospel-centered charitable organization established to serve the poor, with a particular emphasis on orphans in Africa. For more information on Covenant Mercies, please visit our home page.
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2. How much of my $30 ticket price will actually go to Covenant Mercies, and how much will go to cover the expenses of the concert?
Thanks to the generosity of our corporate sponsors and our headlining musicians (who are donating their time), all expenses for the concert are covered and 100% of your ticket price will be invested directly into the mission of Covenant Mercies.
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3. Who are the musicians?
John Blake, Jr. is quite simply a living legend, by all accounts one of the premier jazz violinists in the world. Having played with such jazz greats as the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the McCoy Tyner trio, his résumé speaks for itself. His concerts, seminars, and workshops have taken him all over the world. Blake’s latest recording project, Hold On - an updating of traditional Negro Spirituals in jazz arrangements - is set to be released in 2009.
Sumi Tonooka (pronounced To-NO-ka) is widely regarded as one of the most talented jazz pianists of her generation. Following her debut release in 1986, she has recorded and performed as a bandleader for over two decades in addition to scoring more than a dozen films. Born and raised in Philadelphia’s rich jazz tradition, Ms. Tonooka currently makes her home in New York. Her latest CD, Long Ago Today, was released nationwide in 2008.
After several years as a stellar sideman for Grover Washington and the Zawinul Syndicate, bassist Gerald Veasley launched out as a solo artist, forming the Gerald Veasley Band in the early 1990s. Respected as an innovator on the bass guitar, Veasley is a tireless teacher and mentor as well as a bandleader and performer. He has been named “Best Electric Bassist” by Jazziz Magazine, as well as “Best Jazz Band” by Philadelphia Magazine. The latest of his eight albums, Your Move, was released in 2008.
A graduate of Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music, Rosella Clemmons Washington has a voice that demands to be heard. Although trained classically, she is a composer, arranger, and vocalist of jazz, R&B, and gospel music. Ms. Washington’s recordings include collaborations with Philadelphia jazz greats Grover Washington, Jr., John Blake, Jr., and Tyrone Brown.
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4. Are there different categories of tickets?
All concert tickets are $30, and all are open seating. For an additional contribution of $50, you can join us for a post-concert dessert reception with the musicians (featuring desserts donated by the William Penn Inn). Reception tickets have no effect on concert seating.
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5. Will tickets be available at the door?
Tickets may be purchased at the door, provided they are still available. You may purchase tickets in advance at our secure web site, or by phone at (610) 361-0606, x114.
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7. Where is Covenant Fellowship Church?
Covenant Fellowship is located in Glen Mills, PA, easily accessible from Interstate 95 (about 15 minutes drive), the 202 corridor running between King of Prussia and Wilmington, or Route 1 heading south through Delaware County. Please click here for directions.
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