Jazz Cares for Joe Segal Fundraiser

“Joe has brought us a lifetime of live jazz, a who’s who of the greatest.  Bless him.”  
      Dan Morgenstern, Director Emeritus of Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies

Joe Segal, who has spent his life bringing jazz to Chicago, needs our help.  At 92, he can no longer walk on his own and is confined to a wheelchair. His son, Wayne, who manages the daily operation of their club, the Jazz Showcase, also handles Joe’s medical needs, which are an enormous financial responsibility. 

Joe is currently undergoing physical therapy to regain his strength and mobility – and he is making progress. Although he is often at the Showcase on Sunday afternoons, transporting him is a challenge due to his mobility issues.   With further progress, Joe can spend more time at the club digging the music and interacting with the artists as he has most of his life.

Joe has been promoting jazz in concerts, clubs and in the recording studio for more than 70 years.  Everyone from Lester Young and Charlie Parker to Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins, to Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman, to Ravi Coltrane and Alfredo Rodriguez have played at one of Joe’s venues. 


In 1969 Joe was a co-founder of the Jazz Institute of Chicago. He received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, Roosevelt University in 2013 and two years later was honored with an NEA Jazz Masters award for Jazz Advocacy.

Through this GoFundMe effort, we would initially like to raise $80,000 to cover the increasing costs of Joe’s medical care outside of his coverage.  No donation is too small or too large.  Along with your donation, please share this link through Facebook and email to help get the word out around the world.