Hot jazz chases the blues for center

B.W. COOK

It was an evening of “Hot Blues on a Cool Summer Night.”

That was the title of the 12th annual jazz event held at South

Coast Village recently. In actuality, it was a night of cool jazz on

a hot summer night.

Steve Copeland and the Raging Sun delivered the jazz, which was

either cool or hot, depending on your perspective. Some 400

Newport-Mesa guests moved to the jazz rhythms and dined on an array

of culinary delights, generously prepared for the crowd by the

restaurants of South Coast Village.

The night of jazz was chaired by Bob Loser on behalf of the Center

Stage Chapter of the Guilds of the Orange County Performing Arts

Center. Loser reports that the evening raised some $20,000, which

will benefit OCPAC’s community and educational outreach programs.

44 Women for Children, an organization that supports the

Orangewood Children’s Foundation, will “Get A Little Crazy” on Sept.

18 as it presents “Bringin’ It Home,” its 2004 concert. The event,

sponsored by Commercial Capital Bank, will be a benefit concert

starring some very big names in the world of music -- Seal, Macy Gray

and Boney James -- at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

The big party is being chaired by Keri Doyle. Also very involved

are the founding chairwoman of the 44 Women for Children, Susan

Samueli of Corona del Mar and committee members Elizabeth Amendt,

Deborah Bridges, Sally Clark, Betsy Flint, Sandi Jackson, Eve

Kornyei, Roseanne Levan, Pam Weston and Karen Wolf.

Organizers are offering VIP tickets, priced at $500 per person,

which include special seating, parking, backstage access and a

pre-concert cocktail reception. Individual premium tickets are priced

at $100 each and preferred seating tickets are priced at $70 each.

Proceeds will benefit the Orangewood Children’s Foundation, serving

abused and neglected children in the community. For more information,

please call (714) 619-0200, ext. 228.

The Orange County Chapter of the National Assn. of Women Business

Owners is planning a reception Sept. 14 in Corona del Mar to

introduce its “2004 Remarkable Women” honorees. Linda Hawkins,

Valinda Martin, Harriett Wieder, Hilary Kaye and Susan VerBerg will

be lauded this year for their accomplishments in business, and for

their community service. Also being honored will be Alice Lei, the

Orange County Woman Business Owner of the Year. Supporting the

organization and the event is prominent underwriter Sunwest Bank and

a committee of local activists including Arlene Eckstein, Ninci

Ishii, Elizabeth Jones, Karen Peterson, Rose Gramme, Helen Olson and

Newport’s Barbara Sisson.

For more information on the National Assn. of Women Business

Owners and the upcoming reception, please call (714) 832-5333.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.