The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund, a grass roots 501c(3), was founded after Katrina by and for displaced musicians, and has provided housing, transportation, instruments and grants.  The charity pays no office rent or consultants to help each donor dollar go further. Last week NOMRF was able to pass along donated instruments to the children of musicians, as Chris Rose of the New Orleans Times Picayune described here, and our friends REM sent down some merchandise to encourage the young musicians. Dr. John told Entertaiment Weekly he was very grateful to the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund. "It's small organizations - they've done more than these big organizations with a lot of money."

Join the Second Line Outreach is still crucial. On Mardi Gras Day, we gathered at the Circle Bar with relief workers  and musicians including Abby Travis, Mike Mills and sousaphone god Kirk Joseph. The Saving NOLA Store in Jax Brewery helped post a banner promoting the Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village, Global Green, New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund and Make it Right. NOMRF's auction to help with shipping costs kicks off on July 4 and will feature items including Jimmy Descant rocketship artwork, REM's signed lyrics to Everybody Hurts, a Curtis Knapp book print, Bangles merch and a strat signed by Little Steven in solidarity with New Orleans musicians. Between French Quarter Fest and the Jazz and Heritage Festival last year, James Andrews and Dr. John (left) second lined to Holt Cemetery to dedicate a headstone to James' grandfather, the legendary Jessie Hill.

PayPal Badge and ReDefine Downloads Merchandise available at the Saving NOLA Now Store in Jax Brewery, and (HERE) includes Dennis Procopio's Fleur de Mains (right). In other efforts, Bands including the Subdudes, Ian Hunter, the Kaiser Chiefs and Dr. John have donated tracks to (REDEFINE 8/29 DOWNLOADS).  NOMRF also now offers benefit Sax On The Web tracks and Lies on i-tunes by Abby Travis and the Bangles. The Impact Channel, PayPal and MySpace have chosen the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund to benefit from a new fund-raising badge, and "Lies" by Abby Travis and the Bangles is now available on i-tunes. NOMRF was honored to be a finalist twice in the MySpace Communiity Building Impact Awards.  Badge contributions start with $5, because every dollar still counts - click on the badge to visit our MySpace page and donate.

Piano Print REM featured NOMRF Founder's Jeff Beninato's Family Piano Print (HERE) in their Entertainment Weekly video along with New Orleans Instrumental No. 1: (WATCH HERE).  "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted by The dB's, Jeff's former band, was NOMRF's first download. The songs "Poor Man's Paradise" by Johnny Sansone and "Katrina Was Her Name" by Bryan Lee were both nominated for WC Handy Blues Awards, and both are on the ReDefine 8/29 Download. The piano print is also available to help fund shipping costs for donated instruments.