Kenny Burrell

[jlhoots]

My name is Katherine Burrell. I am raising funds for my husband, Kenny Burrell. He is a legendary jazz guitarist who has contributed much to the world of music. Following his 85th birthday concert at Royce Hall, he suffered an accident that led to a two year medical leave. He is still in recovery, on sabbatical, and writing his autobiography, as well as two other books. I am taking care of Kenny at home. His medical expenses exceed our monthly income. Additionally, we were both victims of identity theft and bank fraud, and the bank has refused to return the stolen funds, which totaled more than $60,000. In the process of mismanaging our claim, the bank returned payments I made to creditors, seriously impacting our credit scores. We no longer qualify to rent an apartment or open lines of credit and/or loans. We are also currently in litigation with our HOA which has been costly, such that I have spent almost all of our savings and life insurance policy. We are facing foreclosure and consequent homelessness. I am fearful of homelessness for Kenny’s sake, and terrified of how I will care for him if left without a home. We will have to move out of our apartment in the next 1-2 weeks for demolition, which will include mold remediation, lead abatement, and major construction. None of this will be covered by insurance, and the HOA will pass all of the costs to us. I can’t maintain Kenny’s health and safety in that kind of environment, and have no place to relocate nor the funds to do so. It is my fervent, heartfelt desire to continue to care for Kenny as he deserves given who he is and all that he has given to the world through his music, and the beautiful spirit from which it emanated. It saddens and embarrasses me to desperately need and request help, but it is necessary at this point. If anyone is willing to help us at this time, I would deeply appreciate it, and I will do my best to pay you back in the future. Thank you, and God bless you.

This came from Jim Eigo at:

www.jazzpromoservices.com/

 

[mikeweil]

https://www.gofundme.com/support-kenny-burrell

[mjzee]

No mention of this on Kenny's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Kenny-Burrell-109029095795560/

[jlhoots]

The gofundme campaign has collected more than 23K. It better be legit. I posted it because it came from a source that's been around for a long time.

[CJ Shearn]

Get well Mr. Burrell!  One of my favorites

[Brad]

1 hour ago, jlhoots said:

The gofundme campaign has collected more than 23K. It better be legit. I posted it because it came from a source that's been around for a long time.

Not to be completely suspicious but can’t anyone post a GoFundMe appeal or does the identity have to be authenticated?

[jlhoots]

37 minutes ago, Brad said:

Not to be completely suspicious but can’t anyone post a GoFundMe appeal or does the identity have to be authenticated?

Well over 500 people have donated & it's up to 30K. Jim Eigo sent this out originally from his website.

Jazz Times also sent it out & is now being cautious. Does anyone know Katherine Burrell?

Edited May 10, 2019 by jlhoots

[Brad]

Here is Jazz Times' tweet:

"We now have reason to doubt the legitimacy of that supposed GoFundMe page for Kenny Burrell we posted about earlier today. If you've been thinking of contributing, please hold off until we can get the full story."

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

my god

[mjzee]

Before I posted, I did a cursory Web search, and was surprised at how little personal information I could find about KB.  No mention of his wife's name or where he currently lives.  It does seem that his 85th birthday concert was his last one to date, but I couldn't find a mention of a subsequent accident.  The rest of the GFM story...I dunno, but I'd think that someone who's the director of UCLA's Jazz Studies program wouldn't be in such dire straits.  This, however, surprised me: https://news.allaboutjazz.com/david-burrell-son-of-kenny-burrell-dead-at-49.php

[Guy Berger]

This is truly terrible.

Should moderators block these kinds of posts going forward until they are verified as legit?

While I appreciate the opportunity to support musicians in need, we shouldn’t undermine the cause by unwittingly promoting fraud/theft

[jlhoots]

Scary, if this is a fake. If you look at the go fund me donor list, a number of musicians have donated.

[Adam]

One could just call the department at UCLA and ask if it is true.  He is faculty there.

[sgcim]

Renee Rosnes and many other musicians donated, so I joined them. Someone on a jazz guitar forum I take part in looked up Katherine Burrell's address, and it's the same as Kenny's.

Even if it's a fake, I owe him too much to not donate. 

[HutchFan]

Ugh.

Awful if KB is really experiencing this dire situation.

Awful if this is a scam.

 

Be cautious, folks.

 

[mjzee]

Can anyone ask Jimmy Eigo where he got the info?

Similar discussion on another Web page:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/kenny-burrell-facing-serious-health-challenges.2045193/

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Michael Cuscuna is looking into this and he has a call into Blue Note/Universal to see if they can do anything financially. He said that the Jazz Foundation is already involved too. I told him the Jazz Foundation should give the Burrells a lawyer to sue the bank that's telling them "Tough crap that somebody stole $60,000".

[Brad]

Update. It’s all legit. Tweet from Jazz Times:

Update: The news about #KennyBurrell is in fact true, and the GoFundMe page is legitimate. An official announcement from the Jazz Foundation of America is on the way, and we'll post it on our website as soon as we get it.

[Dan Gould]

Sad to hear its legit but also glad so I can help out. I think the jazz world will step up for KB and hopefully they'll put this behind them soon. Would love to see his autobiography!

[Brad]

I agree completely. As soon as I get home, I will make a donation. 

[Justin V]

I'll be donating, listening to his music and keeping him in my thoughts.  

[gmonahan]

Now that I know it's legit, I donated. I hope that, between the Go Fund Me and the Foundation, we can prevent this terrible fate for one of our finest musicians.

 

 

gregmo

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I donated. It's the least I can do for someone who has given me many hours of enjoyment.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

May 10, 2019
 
A STATEMENT FROM THE JAZZ FOUNDATION RE: KENNY BURRELL GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN
 
The Jazz Foundation has received many inquiries over the past 24 hours regarding the legitimacy of the GoFundMe campaign for Kenny Burrell.
 
We would like to assure anyone concerned about Kenny that this campaign was indeed created by Katherine on his behalf.
 
Musicians close to Kenny have been in touch with him directly to confirm his situation, and the Jazz Foundation has been in contact with Katherine for months.
 
We operate with the utmost respect for client privacy and confidentiality, but given the questions that have come up, Katherine has kindly given us permission to share this information.
 
Kenny and Katherine had been dealing with this situation alone for several years, because, as always, musicians are proud and self-reliant and do things on their own. They did not even contact us to ask for help but were referred by friends.
 
The Jazz Foundation assessed the case, conferred with other helping organizations, and reviewed documents attesting to the financial need described in the GoFundMe post.
 
We couldn't possibly cover the full scope of the need, and other sources of funding were explored, including a GoFundMe campaign, given how successful and lifesaving they have proven for fellow musicians.
 
As we can see in this outpouring of love for Kenny and Katherine, it has worked.
 
This is a painful but inspiring example of what we see every day at the Jazz Foundation.
 
Many of our legends do not have a partner at home to help them. As we see here, even when they do, the Jazz Foundation is needed to give emotional and financial support. This is why the organization exists, and we handle 30 emergency cases every day.
 
Katherine wished to share these words with everyone who has given their kindness and support over the last day:

“Thank you to everyone at the Jazz Foundation and those who have responded with loving thoughts, prayers, and generosity. Kenny and I are overwhelmed by the compassion, support, and love of both friends and people whom we do not know, but revere his music. Even simple acts of caring and prayer are deeply appreciated during this difficult time, but the generosity in others’ hearts is far beyond anything we could have imagined. The outpouring of love and support, as well as the words of admiration and respect he has received through the campaign have tremendously lifted his spirit and touched his heart. It is my greatest joy to see his expressions, including tears, as he realizes he is respected, cherished, and loved beyond his comprehension. It is a deeply moving and humbling experience, challenging though it may be to expose ourselves and ask for help. Our deepest and heartfelt gratitude for your support, love, and light."
 
We applaud Kenny and Katherine for the courage it took to share the details of their crisis. It has opened up a world of such goodness and generosity, which they so richly deserve.
 
Yours in service,
Joe Petrucelli  Executive Director

Wendy Oxenhorn    Founding Director
Alisa Hafkin  Director of Social Services

Steve Jordan Artistic Director

Contact: Joe Petrucelli (212) 245-3999 joe@jazzfoundation.org

[mjzee]

That's good to know.  I shall donate.