Why this tune?
Our hearts go out to the people of the Caribbean recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. After the storm, we came across this Facebook post from Josh Morgerman, describing how he found inspiration from a palm tree on Jamaica that managed to survive the onslaught.
That resilience of the palms of the Caribbean inspired my song “Bend Don’t Break,” which I recorded on St. Croix and released in 2022. I’m sharing it again this week to celebrate the beauty of the Caribbean and its people, and to encourage you all to support relief efforts in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and other regions affected by the storm. We contributed to the Global Giving Hurricane Melissa Relief fund. They direct funds to local organizations who can respond to the needs of their communities.
We’re finally nearing the end of this year’s hurricane season, looking ahead to calmer weather and the slow process of recovery and rebuilding.
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 