by Press Release
Feb 2nd, 2005

Jazz For Peace™ featuring Rick DellaRatta

performing a special benefit concert in Houston for:
Wilfred O. Allen Education Foundation and St. Luke the Evangelist Episcopal Church

on Sunday February 6th at 4pm
at 
St. Luke the Evangelist Episcopal Church
3530 Wheeler Avenue,   Houston , Texas

Tickets $30  or visit our website for advanced purchase discount tickets at www.jazzforpeace.org

Our Mission

It is the mission of the WILFRED O. ALLEN EDUCATION FOUNDATION, Inc., to raise and distribute financial aid in the form of four-year scholarships and mentoring assistance, to qualified youths within the Houston metropolitan area.

Our primary focus is on our "At Risk Scholarship Program". A program designed to identify and assist minority children that meet our definition of being at risk of not completing high school, and possibly entering an undesirable lifestyle to them and to our community - a lifestyle denying them the opportunity of participating in the "American Dream."   On September 25, 2002, Jazz Pianist & Vocalist Rick DellaRatta was invited to lead a band consisting of: 'Israeli, Middle Eastern, European, Asian & American' Jazz musicians in a concert inside the United Nations, for an international audience. Rick named this band: "Jazz For Peace™ "

Fast Facts: *Rick DellaRatta and Jazz For Peace performed at the United Nations in New York on September 25, 2002. He led a band consisting Israeli, MiddleEastern, European, Asian and American musicians in concert for an international audience.

*Over the past year, Jazz For Peace has played over 75 benefit concerts across many of New York's finest jazz venues for numerous non-profit organizations in need.

*The Jazz For Peace mission is to continue the benefit concert series; to expand its performances to more cities, states and countries; to bring jazz back into the schools and expose Americans to one of its greatest, yet often overlooked art forms; and to donate musical instruments to underprivileged children and schools.

*Rick DellaRatta's new CD, Jazz For Peace, has just been released. Half of the proceeds goes toward musical instruments for underprivileged children.  It features such jazz greats as Eddie Gomez, Lenny White, Paquito D'Rivera and the London Symphony Orchestra.

*Rick DellaRatta is an international jazz pianist, vocalist and composer, who has won numerous awards through his talent. Most recently, he has been honored in Jazz Singers, a book by Scott Yanow, as one of the 500 greatest jazz vocalist of all-time.

Recent Quotes: "Rick DellaRatta is one of the finest Jazz pianists alive." --Savannah Times

"It is actually the quality of DellaRatta's voice that grows on me more & more with repeated listenings. At first I felt that Rick's strengths as a pianist were foremost, but with time I have come to understand that Dellaratta's skill as a vocalist is not to be underestimated. "His voice has quite a haunting quality to it, being slightly androgenous in tone, sometimes ghostly.... sometimes sexy. " --Jen Karpin, Green Mtn Jazz Messenger

".....sure it will be a good show." --New York Times Jazz Forum