Positively Philadelphia: Jazz Sanctuary Still Going Strong
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's a very special anniversary for the Jazz Sanctuary, a musical group that performs at different events around the area at no cost.
The host, most of them nonprofits or houses of worship, provides the refreshments.
Many times groups want music at their events but can't afford it. Enter the Jazz Sanctuary, which began after executive director Alan Segal got some bad news.
"In '06, I was diagnosed with a brain AVM, which means that my brain sprung a leak," he tells KYW Newsradio. "I underwent 13 hours of surgery and spent 33 days in the hospital."
It was a tough road back he says:
"I couldn't read, walk, talk, and I began to play bass seven hours a day to get my hand-eye coordination back. I thought at age 65 it was time to give back."
So he got other musicians together, and the Jazz Sanctuary began to play. Even members of the group didn't think it would last.
But five years and 300 events later, the doubters were wrong. The next event, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, is on May 26th.
Since it began, the group has gone from four people to many different musicians.
Members of the community are invited to all the concerts. For more information, CLICK HERE.
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And for this week, that's "Positively Philadelphia!"
