MUSIC * KNOWLEDGE * HOPE

Jay Bennett was a talented musician, songwriter and performer as well as a sought-after producer and studio owner. Many of you know him from his time with Wilco, but his career extended far beyond that. He died at the age of 45 in May of 2009. His family and friends have formed this foundation to keep his memory alive. Proceeds from Jay’s music and other fund-raising activities will be used to support causes that align with Jay’s life-long passions, particularly music and education.

The launching of the foundation coincides with the launch of Jay’s first posthumous release, Kicking at the Perfumed Air. We have made the music available for download at no charge, with a suggested donation to the foundation. We are also selling CDs, both the current and past releases, and plan to donate a portion of the proceeds from these sales to the foundation as well. Check them out under the ‘store’ button.

The funds that we raise will be channeled to support both music and education. We are in the process of considering supporting: (1) summer camps for children with a specific interest in music, (2) music therapy for emotionally disturbed children who do not respond to other treatments, (3) musical instruments for day care centers or the Boys and Girls Clubs, and (4) safety net programs for young musicians, enabling them to pursue their musical dreams. These are just ideas at this stage, and we welcome your suggestions. Please drop us a note at: info@jaybennett.org.

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Jay was a hyperactive songwriter and experimenter in his studio. When he wasn’t working with other artists, he filled most of his down time with his own music. As a result, we also have several more albums worth of material in varying degrees of completeness that may be packaged and released over the next 3-4 years. We hope that you will join our mailing list and receive notice when the next batch of songs is ready to go.