JAZZ PIANIST, GEORGE KAHN HOLDS 5th ANNUAL FUNDRAISER ASSISTING THE HOMELESS at CATALINA BAR & GRILL

Mark Your Calendars for Sunday December 16!

I have now been in the mortgage business for 22 years, and have had quite a ride with the ups and downs of our business. But as anyone who has been in the business can tell you, real estate has been very good to many, many people in Los Angeles. That is why, once a year I like to give back and help some of the people that are not fortunate enough to have a home to lay their head at night.

Once a year I host a Jazz Party and Fundraiser at my favorite jazz club, The Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. I put together a killer band and a great show including various guest vocalists, and we play our hearts out for PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) Ventures, a non-profit that builds permanent housing for people that have been homeless in Los Angeles.
This year the event is on Thursday, December 16. The doors open at 7:00 PM for dinner, and the music starts at 8:30. There are no long boring speeches. There is plenty of good food, drink and amazing music. My company, Mortgage Capital Partners, sponsors the music, so all the money we raise goes directly to PATH Ventures.
I could use your help, if you have a minute, especially if you live in the Los Angeles area:
1) Please consider buying a table at the show. A table for six costs $500, and includes a three course meal and the show (alcohol is extra). If you don’t have 6 people, you can buy a dinner/show ticket in advance for $100, and we will seat you with others. Please contact Emily at 310-996-1171 or emilyr@pathventures.org for this special package.
2) If you don’t want to come for dinner, you can still make show reservations for $25 per person ($15 for students). You can buy drinks or food when you get there, and while you are there you can make an additional donation to PATH ventures. For reservations, call Catalina Jazz Club (323) 466-2210.
3) If you can’t make the show at all, please consider sending a donation for any amount to PATH Ventures. If you send it before December 16, I can deliver it to the concert. Mail checks for PATH Ventures to attn: George Kahn, c/o 12400 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90025
4) I can also send you a copy of the press release and a flyer, so you can spread the word.
Please see below for details. I hope to see you at the show – it will be the best holiday party of the season!
All love,

George

JAZZ PIANIST, GEORGE KAHN HOLDS 5th ANNUAL FUNDRAISER ASSISTING THE HOMELESS
 at CATALINA BAR & GRILL
THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 16TH, 2010

Let the holiday season begin…with an evening of great Jazz that’s also a benefit for the Los Angeles homeless community. For the 5th consecutive year, Jazz Pianist, George Kahn, returns to the CATALINA JAZZ CLUB with a performance benefiting PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) VENTURES on Thursday evening, December 16th. Path Ventures, a community development corporation created by PATH in 2005, focuses on the construction of affordable housing for individuals and families in the Los Angeles area.

The George Kahn “Jazz And Blues Revue” will feature George on piano with an all-star band of LA studio musicians. Special guests include: John Fumo on trumpet, Larry Klimas on sax, Karl Vincent on bass, and M. B. Gordy on drums. Adding to the night’s entertainment will be vocalists Courtney Lemmon, Kelsea Cire and Dianne Wright.

The George Kahn “West Coast Jazz” Quintet is currently touring to support the new album, Secrets From The Jazz Ghetto. The 2-CD collection was released in June 2010 to outstanding reviews and national radio airplay.

The doors open at 7 PM for dinner and the show will begin at 8:30 PM. There is a $25.00 cover plus Minimum. (Students with ID, $15.00).

Special Dinner/show tickets are available in advance for a $100 donation to PATH VENTURES. Please contact Emily at 310-996-1171 or emilyr@pathventures.org for this special package.

All profits from the evening will go directly to PATH VENTURES

The Catalina Jazz Club is located at 6725 Sunset Blvd. (just east of Highland Avenue - parking on N. McCadden Place). Dinner reservations suggested. (323) 466-2210.
This concert is generously sponsored by Mortgage Capital Partners.
Come see for yourself why Alfredo Cruz calls George Kahn “…creative, entertaining, intelligent, sophisticated and stimulating.”
www.GeorgeKahn.com

For Your Consideration - send George to the Grammys!

Just got the GRAMMY List - how cool, I have songs from the new album, SECRETS FROM THE JAZZ GHETTO for consideration in many categorys (this DOES NOT mean I am a finalist, just in the initial nominating ballot):
- Record of the Year, SOMBRAS DE NOITE (NIGHT SHADOWS)
- Song of the Year, SOMBRAS DE NOITE (NIGHT SHADOWS)
- Pop Instrumental, EVAN’S ELEVEN
- Improvised Jazz Solo, ANDY SUZUKI: EVAN’S ELEVEN
- Improvised Jazz Solo, GEORGE KAHN: MY FUNNY VALENTINE
- Instrumental composition, EVAN’S ELEVEN
- Instrumental composition, WALTZ FOR DIANA
- Best arrangement, instrumental OVER THE RAINBOW
- Best arrangement, vocals SOMBRAS DE NOITE (NIGHT SHADOWS)
IF YOU ARE A GRAMMY MEMBER, you can hear these songs at grammy365.com
http://www.grammy365.com/users/geokahn
and please vote by November 3 for your favorite songs!

The Passion Principle

I clearly remember the day about 20 years ago when I was visiting a Real Estate office in Marina Del Rey, looking for business. I was 1 year into being a mortgage broker, and had just landed a job with Jon Douglas Financial – the Marina office was one of my “accounts”. The manager of the office called me in to his office. He had heard that I used to play music, and that I still played in a band, now and then. He told me, in no uncertain terms, that I had better NEVER mention music in his office – I was there to do loans, and he did not want to hear anything except that I would be available to his Realtors, 24/7, to help them get their clients financing.
This was just one of many times in my business life where I ran into “my way or the highway”-type managers. These leaders programmed me to believe that if people knew I did anything else besides loans, they would not work with me and somehow they would think less of me.

But over the years something amazing happened. I realized that people are MORE interested in me when I shared who I really am. Authenticity is attractive. Countless people in California can do a home loan. Not everyone can do a home loan and play a burning solo on Miles Davis’ “All Blues”.

There has been much written about the work-life balance today: how to balance the demands of a workplace that has fewer people doing twice the work, while still having a family life, a creative life, and a spiritual life. Now I know, there are a handful of people that say, “I love my job! My job is my life!” More power to them, but really, I don’t know anyone that, on their deathbed, said “I regret that I did not spend more time at the office.”

So, how do you integrate your passion with your business? Well, the question behind the question is: What are you passionate about?

I am lucky. My parent’s blessed me with a creative streak a mile wide. I love to play and compose music. I love photography. I love to write, to journal, to blog. I love to paint. I let me passion for jazz constantly spill over into my daily business. I share my performances with people at netowrking meetings. When I start a new loan, my clients get a gift of a “new Age” CD that I produced, to help them stay calm. Then, at the end of the transaction, I usually send people a gift basket with one of my jazz CDs and a couple of bottles of nice wine. And of course I invite all my clients to the jazz gigs and events that I play at. In sharing my love of jazz I have done loans for owners of music studios, many people in the entertainment business, as well as lawyers and CPAs that work with entertainment clients.

Once you have found it, how do your share your Passion with your friends and business associates? It’s easy – just open your mouth, and say it. Your passion is contagious and attractive.

Another Nail In The Coffin

I love jazz. I love listening to jazz. I love playing jazz. Jazz does not frighten me - it excites me and invigorates me. And I am willing to support the music I love by purchasing the music and going to clubs to hear the music live.

But I fear, more and more, that I am a dying breed.

I read an interview last week with Vijay Iyer. If you have not heard of Vijay, he is an amazing pianist, and has been getting rave reviews for the last couple of years in many influential magazines. His album Historicity was voted BEST ALBUM of the year in Downbeat magazine this year (2010).
This acclaimed album has sold about 7000 copies so far, after 12 months. That is pretty sad - the BEST album of the year can't even sell 10,000 copies.

The spread of digital music is so complete and prevalent - and basically free - it is harder and harder to get people to part with their money to buy music.

So this week a friend of mine introduced me to the latest nail in the musical coffin: DIRPY.com

This amazing site allows you to search Youtube.com, and when you find a video you like it lets you separate the soundtrack of that video and instantly create an mp3 file for yourself.

AS I am writing this blog, I have been able to download a song from the Historicity album that was uploaded with an image to Youtube. I could also download and save his interviews, and some live performances that people have posted about Vijay.

Want some Charlie Parker? I am now downloading Bird and Diz playing "Hot House" in 1951 at the Downbeat Awards, when they received the best Alto Sax and Trumpet of the year awards.

Not much need to go to the local record store anymore...

A Great Article about George Kahn and Courtney Lemmon

Kirk Silsbee just did a great write up about George and Courtney, performing tonight at First and Hope in Downtown LA.

A Blond Ingenue and a Middle-Aged Keyboard Sage Come Together at First & Hope
by Kirk Silsbee
Published: Friday, August 20, 2010 4:30 PM PDT
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Strong musical marriages happen when one talent and artistic vision is complemented, encouraged and inspired by another. They flourish through creative stimulation and mutual respect. To musicians, these conjunctions are just as important as the matrimonial kind.

Jazz pianist, composer and arranger George Kahn shares one such union with singer Courtney Lemmon. The blond ingénue and the middle-aged keyboard sage make a striking pair and an example of inter-generational synchronicity. When she fronts his band, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Their special blend will be on display Thursday, Aug. 26, at Fedora, a small club inside the restaurant First & Hope.

Read the whole article here:
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2010/08/24/entertainment/doc4c6f02be5c7d4690657357.txt

George Kahn And The Four Freshman In Concert August 8th

Jazz | AllAboutJazz.com