New Orleans Jazz Benefit Concert

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association (CVNPA) hosted a special benefit concert on Saturday, October 29 to benefit New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The total amount donated was $2646.00. Featured performers were NPS JAZZ employees Bruce Barnes and Matt Hampsey. In musical New Orleans, Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes stands out as the best blues harmonica player in town. Bruce has further distinguished himself as a zydeco accordionist and powerful singer and is lead performer of Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots who have five CDs to their credit. Bruce has been working for the National Park Service for twenty years. Guitarist Matt Hampsey, originally from Pennsylvania, has lived in New Orleans for fifteen years. He graduated from the jazz studies program at University of New Orleans and has been a park guide with the National Park Service at New Orleans National Historical Park since 2000. Following the hurricanes, Matt was detailed to CVNP for about six weeks where he assisted the interpretive staff on several project and presented musical programming for students at the park’s environmental education center. Bruce joined Matt at CVNP for a week-long detail that included the benefit concert and student programming.