As a Frenchman of Jewish origins married to an American Presbyterian, Jean Chaumont lives at the intersection of different cultures and beliefs. Jean’s unique background and embrace of multiculturalism provide the first clues as to why he has titled his debut Jazz Album “The Beauty of Differences.” But more than simply looking backward, Jean’s new album is an invitation to look forward, to the possibility of a better world. “The Beauty of Differences” will not only be a celebration of the richness and vibrancy of our human tapestry, it will have a real concrete impact on the lives of vulnerable people. The proceeds of Jean’s album will be donated to Villages in Partnership to provide safe, clean and accessible water for the villagers of Sakata, Malawi. Jean calculates that every album sold will provide clean drinking water for one person for life.
Jean is working with Misfitme Music, a small independent label run by Enoch Smith Jr, the Director of Music at Allentown Presbyterian Church. Every project released with the label has a service component, which is one of the reasons Jean signed with them in the first place. Jean wanted to use the gift of music that God had blessed him with to bless others. He knew that he wanted to have an impact somewhere in Africa, a continent that he said has been abused by the rest of the world. Through hours of research and reflection, Jean discovered that Malawi was one of the poorest countries in the world and he decided that he wanted to partner with a smaller organization so that he could have a personal relationship with them and see the actual concrete impact of his abstract music. With the VIP offices right next door to Enoch at APC the fit was perfect. Jean is already planning on visiting Malawi with VIP down the road so that he can see the fruits of his project and meet the people that his music will have such an impact on.
Now that he has secured the funding for his incredible project Jean is getting ready to record the album with Enoch. The album is going to have 9 tracks, 8 original songs and one rearrangement. He expects the album to be ready for release by the end of November. We at VIP couldn’t be happier about partnering with such a talented and giving person and we can’t wait to hear the album!
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