Jazz Beyond The Blues on Sept. 10

Set to be staged next Monday, Sept. 10, is Jazz Beyond The Blues at the New World Hotel, which coincides with the World Suicide Prevention Day.

Presented by the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF) headed by Jeannie Goulbourn (photo), the concert features artists from Singapore (Andrew Lim and Rani Lim), Australia (Serge Le Goueff) and the Philippines (Pilita Corrales, Bituin Escalante, Michael Williams and Nicole Asencio). Musical direction is by Mel Villena accompanied by the AMP Big Band.

The concert aims to raise money for the NGF scholarship fund. So far, these past 11 years, NGF has been able to raise funds for, among other projects, lectures led by US and UK-based psychiatrists.

Having lost her daughter Natasha to suicide, Jeannie knows too well how painful it is for a parent to lose a daughter so tragically.

“Depression could lead to suicide,” Jeannie has been quoted as saying, “but it can be prevented. Prevention starts with leading a good, happy lifestyle.”

Jeannie knows that music has a healing effect, especially jazz music which she said people find easy to absorb.

At the concert’s presscon, Jeannie revealed that NGF is set to be called New Good Feelings Foundation (NGFF), and one of non-government organizations (NGOs) to be endorsed to Pres. DU30 to be a member of the Philippine Mental Health Council (PMHC).

Billed as co-producer of the concert is Singapore Ambassador Li Peng who was among the speakers at the presscon.

(For tickets to Jazz Beyond the Blues, call 811-6856 or 09178153636.)