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Dear Friend of Jazz:

I wish you could have been with me. The New York Foundation for the Arts called to tell me they had accepted my project into their Fiscal Sponsorship Program. I wept like a baby. I knew this meant that my second CD wasn't just a dream, but a reality.

What's the CD?

I'm calling it The Glory of Love (my most requested song - I'm finally recording it!). It'll be fun, daring and appealing to folks who love jazz as well as those who are new to it. And it'll be heard all over the world.

Why am I writing you?

If you've read the articles or heard me on the radio, you know things are going gangbusters. Catch Me If You Can (my first CD) did incredibly well. It's crucial that I follow quickly with the next CD to keep the ball rolling. This is a tough challenge. The record industry is in shambles and vocal jazz production has all but disappeared. So, I'm writing today to ask for your help. To ask you to support jazz and to ask you to support me with a tax-deductible contribution of whatever you can afford.

Because The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is sponsoring my project, you get the same tax advantage as with any arts donation - only it's personal.

Why should you support jazz?

• Because jazz is an American treasure. Congress said so. It's the only art form created here. House Resolution 57 (1987) says: "Whereas, jazz has achieved preeminence throughout the world as an indigenous American music and art form... Jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it is preserved…"

• Because the jazz world is in trouble and needs your help. You've probably heard reports in the media about problems the record industry is facing. Well, it's dire for jazz ("major labels are dropping jazz artists right and left these days" - WJAZ.net). Jazz needs your help.
  
  
• Because jazz doesn't have the kind of funding sources other genres do. Commercial music like pop, hip hop and country have massive radio audiences. This makes it easy to interest record producers. Opera and musical theatre play to large audiences in marquee houses. This makes public fundraising easier. Jazzers roam the world playing in small clubs and on public radio. Attracting producers and funders is far more difficult. Grant money for vocal jazz is virtually non-existent. We need your help.

Why should you support me?

• Because this is an opportunity to support the arts in a way that is direct and personal - a way in which you can actually hear it, touch it and see it.
  
  
• Because I work hard to ensure jazz does not die in this country. Recently, I brought a chapter of the Jazz Vocal Coalition to New York and was elected its president. The Coalition is committed to preserving the jazz tradition by providing encouragement, mentoring and educational opportunities. I can't tell you how thrilling it is to see the response of young audiences to my work. So, you see, it's more than just me.
  
  
• Because the industry applauds my work. Catch Me If You Can earned great reviews and was played all over the world - amazing for a first CD. The Daily News calls me "the scat's meow." Time Out raves: "You won't believe your ears - a wonder to behold." JazzReview.com says "she'll be making her mark on the jazz scene for years to come." You'd be supporting top quality work.
  
  
• Because my music is jazz for everyone! It crosses over and snags new listeners. It's inventive but easy to digest. ("She combines the best of cabaret and jazz. She has the respect for the lyrics one usually finds in cabaret as well as the ability to use her voice as an instrument" - Dave Nathan, All About Jazz). I'm your jazz ambassador!
  
  
• Because NYFA thinks "The Glory of Love" worthy. NYFA sponsors projects they feel will have an impact on the community. They've chosen The Glory of Love. (NYFA is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization. Contributions on behalf of The Glory of Love are made payable to NYFA, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. A full 92% of each dollar you donate goes directly into The Glory of Love.)
  
  
• Because singing is my passion - my heart & soul. Legendary singer Joe Williams once said, "it's not that you want to sing, it's that you have to sing." I have to sing. You know this from my work. It's the blood that flows through my veins.

Please consider this opportunity and please spread the word to friends that support the arts. Contribute whatever you can. I promise you - you'll be proud to be part of The Glory of Love, my future, and the future of jazz.

Warm regards,

Laurie Krauz

Copyright © 2001-2006 Laurie Krauz, All Rights Reserved.
Photography by Anthony Barboza