As Summer Heats Up, The Jazz Sanctuary Brings 4 FreeConcerts to Philadelphia and its Suburbs in July & August

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – June 25, 2024 – As the summer of 2024 heats up, The Jazz Sanctuary, Philadelphia’s most unique non-profit performing arts group, continues its mission of bringing jazz to the community with four free live concerts in Philadelphia and its suburbs in July and August.
The summer season for The Jazz Sanctuary includes four exciting concerts:
• Sunday, July 14, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (301 N. Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901). The 10:30 am morning services will include music performed by The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet: Eddie Etkins (tenor saxophone), Leon Jordan Sr. (drums), Randy Sutin (vibes/percussion), James Holton (piano), and Alan Segal (bass).
• Wednesday, July 17, at Broad Street Methodist Church (36 E. Broad St., Burlington, NJ 08016). The one-hour concert stars at 7 pm and features The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet: James Dell’Orefice (piano), Leon Jordan Sr. (drums), Randy Sutin (vibes/percussion), Eddie Etkins (tenor saxophone), and Alan Segal (bass).
• Thursday, August 1, at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation (1505 Makefield Road, Morrisville, PA 19067). The “Jazz & Joe” concert, featuring live music, coffee, and treats, starts at 7 pm and features The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet: James Dell’Orefice (piano), Leon Jordan Sr. (drums), Randy Sutin (vibes/percussion), Eddie Etkins (tenor saxophone), and Alan Segal (bass).
• Friday, August 9, at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church (35 Old Eagle School Road, Strafford, PA 19087). The one-hour concert, following services, starts at 7 pm and features The Jazz Sanctuary Quintet: James Dell’Orefice (piano), Leon Jordan Sr. (drums), Randy Sutin (vibes/percussion), Eddie Etkins (tenor saxophone), and Alan Segal (bass).
The inspiring story of The Jazz Sanctuary begins with its founder, Segal, now 82, who faced a life-changing diagnosis of brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in December 2006. Following a grueling 13-hour surgery and 33 days in the hospital, Segal embarked on a challenging path to recovery through outpatient rehabilitation.
“When I came out of the hospital in January 2007, I couldn’t walk, talk, or read – I was essentially at zero,” Segal recounted. “I had to re-learn how to walk, speak, and read. I decided to incorporate music into my therapy and chose the bass. By reading music, I re-learned how to read; by playing, I re-learned my hand-eye coordination, all through 2007 and well into 2008.”
Though Segal had previously dabbled in guitar and bass, he had never pursued either instrument formally. Faced with the devastating effects of his AVM, Segal integrated music into his therapy, choosing the bass to enhance his hand-eye coordination and reading skills.
Segal’s newfound passion for jazz bass came with a commitment to give back to the community. In 2011, he founded The Jazz Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Jazz Sanctuary brings the joy of jazz music free of charge to charitable organizations, senior centers, hospitals, rehab centers, community centers, and houses of worship throughout Philadelphia and the neighboring Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs.
The Jazz Sanctuary’s mission is to maintain and share America’s great musical invention, jazz, by performing at community gatherings, supporting other charitable organizations, and providing educational development through their Sanctuary Jam program. They also ensure fair compensation for their musicians.
To support their mission, The Jazz Sanctuary continues to seek additional funding and corporate sponsorships.
For more information about The Jazz Sanctuary and their upcoming events, visit https://thejazzsanctuary.com.