In March 2020, during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, a consortium of record labels and industry partners assembled to support the launch of the Jazz Foundation of America’s COVID-19 Musicians’ Emergency Fund. The fund’s mandate was simple and urgent—provide direct financial assistance for basic living expenses to musicians and families whose livelihoods and security were jeopardized by the sudden collapse of the global performance industry. In that time of overwhelming uncertainty and near-chaos, the labels associated with this project—Blue Note Records, Concord Music Group, Mack Avenue Music Group, Nonesuch Records, the Verve Label Group, and Warner Music Group—banded together to raise funds for those needs. It was a first-of-its-kind alliance of the leaders in the jazz industry, and an extraordinary response to the dire circumstances facing artists. This album, Relief—the proceeds of which benefit the Musicians’ Emergency Fund—extends the consortium’s efforts as the world enters the second year of the pandemic, following a period of unparalleled heartbreak and staggering losses in our music community. The Jazz Foundation of America deeply appreciates the artists, songwriters and label teams who contributed to this project with such compassion and generosity. As pandemic restrictions continue to lift, we recognize that musicians will face a particularly lengthy recovery. We and our partners are here for the long haul.

Joe Petrucelli
Executive Director, Jazz Foundation of America