In this episode of Small Business Origins, host John Kelley interviews Rick DellaRatta, founder of Jazz for Peace, a nonprofit organization that uses jazz events to raise funds and awareness for other outstanding causes around the world. Rick shares how his lifelong passion for music led him to realize the power of jazz to bring people together across boundaries. On September 11, 2001, witnessing the attacks inspired Rick to found Jazz for Peace. He discusses how the organization works with small community causes to organize jazz events that support their fundraising and outreach goals.

Main Discussion Points:

- Rick's early years growing up in a musical family and starting piano lessons

- Studying jazz and traveling as a musician around the U.S. and internationally

- Seeing music's ability to connect with people regardless of background

- Being inspired on 9/11 to use jazz to help outstanding causes and bring more peace

- How Jazz for Peace partners with small local causes to organize custom jazz events

- Raising money, awareness, supporters for community organizations in need

Guest Bio:

Rick DellaRatta is now considered by many to be one of the finest Singer/Pianists performing today and one of only a handful of Jazz Artists who can make a successful musical presentation to a large audience without having to abandon the true art form of Jazz. Through his life long endeavor to help advance people to their highest potential through the understanding of Jazz as well as spreading peace worldwide through his "Jazz for Peace World Tour", Rick DellaRatta is considered to be an innovator and a visionary.

His unique and original piano playing and composing has been compared in print to Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett, Joe Zawinul, Horace Silver, Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk while his signature vocal sound and style has been likened to Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Joao Gilberto, Ivan Lins, Michael Franks and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Dr. Billy Taylor put Ricks impact in perspective when commenting on Ricks "Thought Provoking CD - he said: "Rick DellaRatta is one of the people who is taking Jazz to the next level".

Company Bio:

Jazz for Peace is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Rick DellaRatta in New York City in 2002. Its mission is to use jazz performance events to provide substantial funding and well-deserved prestige to outstanding causes and their communities while nurturing cultural enrichment, community goodwill and global cooperation. Over its 20-year history, Jazz for Peace has directed over $1 million in funding plus donated supplies to deserving organizations across the U.S. and in over 30 countries.

Key Quotes:

"Music has a power, has a healing power, it has a communication power, it go breaks through boundaries and barriers, has all these magical qualities are in music." (00:23:42)

"Why don't I take all of this that we already know and do something with it? You know? Do something with it." (00:25:00)

"When you see the people we've, helped, most of most of them are organizations you've never heard of...There's a charity that helps birds. I mean, anything you name it and we've played for it." (00:41:28)

Links Mentioned:

Beefy Marketing

Jazz for Peace Online

X (Formerly Twitter)

Instagram