Montclair Rocks for Haiti

This was a night that people will be talking about for a long time, and for all of the very best reasons. An estimated 300 people attended a concert last night at the Unitarian Church on Church Street in a moving and enthusiastic show of love and support that raised $18,000 for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

I arrived a little after 7 pm, just as Montclair High School's a capella group, Passing Notes, took the stage.

They were singing "Hey Ya" and their clarity and grace utterly charmed the packed house. Next up were the Reticents -- easy to see why this band has such a following. They rocked the house with their Dylan covers and other great songs, ending with a fantastic, rousing version of Nick Lowe's anthemic "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?" Songstress April Peters followed and sang one inspiring song about taking the opportunity to love. Ms. Peters has a gorgeous, fluid voice. If she plays around here again, I'd try to get a ticket and go. After that, grammy-nominated opera and Broadway singer Stephen Bryant took the stage, singing "Feelin' Good" from "The Smell of the Greasepaint, The Roar of the Crowd" and "Imagine." He finished his set by bringing some members of the Passing Notes and other participants back on stage for his last number, "Shed a Little Light," a James Taylor tribute to Martin Luther King. Finally, the concert's last act took the stage--Christian McBride with Steve Turre, Melissa Walker and the rest of the fantastic ensemble, including a young sax player who is a Jazz House Kids alumnus.

Mayor Jerry Fried acted as emcee and volunteers walked around collecting checks and cash for Haiti relief. In between performances, Mayor Fried also introduced some Haitian Americans who had lost or nearly lost close friends and family members in the cataclysm. Their stories helped to underscore the urgency of the situation. And of course throughout the evening there were references to the memory and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Organizers of this event included Fried, Cindy Stagoff and Outpost in the Burbs. Alma Shneider of "Take Back the Kitchen" helped organize a fabulous bake sale that brought in $856 towards relief.

One of my favorite moments was when a group of Montclair firefighters, in full firefighting gear, arrived to present a large check for the relief effort.

In the slide show that I posted above you can get a sense of the great teamwork, community feeling, generosity and talent that helped to raise so much money and awareness for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Let's hope that all of our collective efforts can make a difference. And again, appreciation and congratulations to all who worked so hard to make this such a warm and wonderful event.