Joey Cavaseno needs our help!

Hi, this is nyc jazz musician, Aaron Johnson. Smalls Jazz Club Owner/musician Spike Wilner and I are putting on this fundraiser to help our dear friend and incalculable asset to Jazz Music, Joey “G Clef” Cavaseno. Since the fall of 2019, Joey has been housebound and in the process of recovering from numerous health scares, the primary issue being recurrent Cellutitis complicated by diabetes. This has limited Joey’s activities, including all of the administrative work for his renowned hip-hop record label, Chambermusik as well as his jazz label, Soul Kid Jazz to halting all of his live performances. Despite this setback, Joey has still managed to release several records on his label but between both he and his wife’s separate health issues (she has been his caregiver throughout this period) and his inability (for various incidental reasons) to receive the support that most small business owners received during all of the Covid lockdowns (Joey was unable to get PPP loans nor stimulus checks for instance), Joey needs our help. I have only set a 10,000 cap for the time being but as we raise funds, I can raise the amount as needed.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Joey’s history in jazz, Joey Cavaseno was a child prodigy on both the clarinet and saxophone who was discovered by greats such as Lionel Hampton, Doc Cheatham, Lou Donaldson and Benny Carter. From there, he served as the lead alto saxophonist with both the Illinois Jacquet Big Band and Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans. Joey was also a member of the Louis Armstrong Legacy Band led by Arvell Shaw. In the late 1990’s during the retro swing revival, Joey started his band the “yallopin’ hounds” which was one of the most popular bands in the international swing dance scene. Though Joey’s professional focus has shifted some to the role of Label Owner and Producer, he still appears with his Quartet regularly at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. Joey is an integral part of the Jazz community and specifically, the Smalls Jazz Club Family. Not only has Joey given so much of himself to us through his music, he has been a musical father figure and mentor to a handful of musicians he considers protégés and has selflessly shared his knowledge of the jazz tradition with the next generation.

Joey has been there for Jazz music his entire life, traveling the world and sharing his beautiful sound with fans far and wide. Now it is our turn to give back to Joey!

Here is a beautiful clip of Joey playing a feature with Illinois Jacquet, “Willow Weep For Me”: https://youtu.be/Php9CKG040I