Music and inspiration — always a powerful combination – have joined hands in an amazing new way for renowned music producer and musician Ned Mann, and music fans everywhere. For years, Mann was a major player in the New York City music scene, as an in-demand bassist and engineer/producer. But then ALS – “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” – struck him in 1999, taking away his mobility. His career seemed finished.
Today, with the beautiful new jazz double-album “Finding My Way Home,” Mann and his band of believers make a defiant stand against ALS. That new CD, is now available on iTunes, AmazonMP3, Napster, Zune, and via other online music sites, has already raised two thousand dollars in its first week of release.
To view the “Help Ned Fight ALS” Facebook Fan Page, please see:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Help-Ned-Fight-ALS/113472455333241?ref=search&sid=848869254.4212196913..1
To view video behind this project, please see:
http://helpnedfightals.org/videoshowiwork.html
To read advance PR, please see:
“Volume One” features musical luminaries including Randy Brecker, Will Lee, and Chuck Loeb playing inspired contemporary jazz. “Volume Two” showcases Mike Stern, David Mann, and Rufus Reid swinging standards in a mainstream jazz setting.
Equipped with new adaptive PC technology, Mann has accomplished a 21st Century feat with Finding My Way Home, performing all mixing and post production duties on his computer using “SmartNav,” a system that gives him full control of his mouse via head movement.
“The gift of music reappearing in my life inspired me to help others. I produced these all-star sessions to raise funds and awareness for ALS research. The support from the musical community has been truly amazing, with everyone from musicians to studios generously donating their time, talents and creativity. It is humbling to receive so much love and support. ” Mann says. “This project has been a true blessing for me, keeping me positive, focused and surrounded by great music. It shows that as long as one has hope anything is possible. I am thrilled to be able to raise funds and awareness to help the fight against ALS.”
All profits from “Finding My Way Home” will be donated to the ALS Association. Although there is no treatment today that halts or reverses ALS, new methods, such as stem-cell research, offer hope and the possibility of an eventual cure.
Ned’s brother, David Mann, worked tirelessly on this project, helping to coordinate recording sessions in NYC, and then sending the digital music files to Ned for mixing and finishing at his home base in San Diego. The result is an album that breaks new ground in its combination of art, technology, and sheer strength of the human spirit.
“It is a rare joy to make music simply for the love of it,” David Mann reports. “All these great musicians were celebrating their love of music, but also their love of Ned. This joy and love comes through in the music. We hope that people are moved by it.”
“Finding My Way Home” CDs are available from CDbaby, and downloads from CDbaby iTunes, AmazonMP3, and Rhapsody. For more info about Ned Mann and his battle against ALS, please see www.helpnedfightals.org.
ABOUT NED MANN’S MUSICAL CAREER
For over twenty-five years, Ned Mann played the acoustic and electric bass and worked with numerous, noted musicians. He performed, recorded, and toured with many of his heroes. His musical credits include:
The Mann Brothers featuring Ned & David Mann
Michel Camilo
Mike Stern
The Caribbean Project featuring
David Samuels
Paquito D’Rivera
Andy Narrel
The Latin Jazz All Stars featuring
Arturo Sandovao
David Valentine
Paquito D’Rivera
Michel Camilo
Chuck Loeb
Nelson Rangell
Nestor Torres
Eddie Harris
Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band
Rachel Z
In addition, Mann also engineered and produced music for clients in his studio, Interactive Sound, along with his brother, David, as a partner. A partial list of Mann’s studio clients includes:
David Mann
Nelson Rangell
Nestor Torres (Mann mixed This Side Of Paradise for Nestor Torres, which won a Latin Grammy for Best Instrumental Pop Album in 2001)
Scott Kreitzer
Barry Danelian
K J Denhert
Kevin Killen
Andy Snitzer
Jay Azzolina
Wayman Tisdale
Rachel Z
ABOUT ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig’s Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
ABOUT THE ALS ASSOCIATION
The Mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. For more info, please see www.alsa.org.
