JUMP BACK: An ode to the people of New York

I was originally going to revise the text below to bring it up to date. But Iíve decided to leave it as and preserve it as it reflected my state of mind in the fall of 2001. I ended the Jump Back project on Christmas Day after giving out almost 4,000 CDís. It became time to get back to the "real world". I will always be grateful to the many people who took the time to tell me how helpful the song was to them during such a difficult time. Truth to tell, in many ways the project kept me focused and busy and was instrumental in helping me get through those first few months. The All-Moons were David Nagler on guitars & vocals, Tom Chiu on violin and Stephanie St. John and myself on lead vocals. Yianni Papadopoulos and Joshua Fried generously donated time and energy to help record and mix the song. (As of the fall of 2003 the address below is no longer operational)

CLICK HERE If you wish to read a personal account of 9/11/01, written in response to music writer Kyle Gannís inquiry and subsequently posted at composer Eve Beglarianís Web site

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"Jump Back" was written and recorded 2 1/2 blocks from Ground Zero in my home studio. My wife and I were out of our place for two weeks after the attack.

Shortly after being able to return I began writing it -- inspired by the spirit of those around us and the memory of those who left us.

Please feel free to upload this anywhere or copy it to CD and pass it around. Itís our gift to you.

There have been a lot of amazing things happening with this song in the month since this site went up. Maybe the most amazing is that a Red Cross volunteer I know was able to bring some copies of "Jump Back"(when I was still home burning them) along on one of the buses taking grieving family members from the family center in Midtown down to Ground Zero for the big memorial service on October 28th. One of the people had a walkman with speakers and this friend told me that they played the song over and over all the way down to the site and told her they were going to do the same all the way back!

Now the CD is about to go into its second pressing. I have given out over 1,500 as of this update and have ordered another 2,000. The first shipment came about through the graces of the good people below. This second one is -- so far -- coming out of my pocket. So if you have any thoughts about helping out, don't let me stop you (see P.O. Box below)!

It has been extremely gratifying giving these out to people on a daily basis at Ground Zero. People are making the pilgrimage from all over, it seems, and they really seem to be appreciating the gesture. I am also giving bunches of CD's to friends to distribute to local firehouses/police precincts/hospitals, etc. I also give them out wherever I go -- subways, out of town trips, etc.

I went up to the madhouse that is Penn Station on Thanksgiving morning and gave out a couple hundred in about a half hour. Also gave another hundred that same day to St. Paul's Church -- which is sort of the home base of the recovery workers assigned to Ground Zero. One of the Sisters came out to thank me -- which was very nice...

Giovanni Antognozzi at SILENZIO Distribuzione (A book and CD publisher in Rome, Italy) was so taken with "Jump Back" that he asked to be able to press his own version which he has been including for free with all orders that they send out. This version (which has all the original artwork of the "USA" version) is actually an enhanced CD -- including all the website information on it. So SILENZIO's is actually superior to ours -- for all you collectors and completists out there :-)

I've been getting some very touching feedback from people out there -- this email message is a particular favorite:

This is such an awesome CD. I have really been affected by it since it was handed to me on a subway. I am not from New York, but plan to go there after high school. I just wanted to say that I think it is really cool what you are doing.

Rock On

Jenn

Local merchants have been great. These are all people that were as hurt financially as anyone and yet they've all pitched in to help without a moment's hesitation. J&R Music World has set up a display where one can pick up a copy of the CD (for free, of course) in their pop music location down here on Park Row in Lower Manhattan. My local Kinko's on William Street has consistently given me great deals and occasionally done small jobs for free (hope I'm not getting anyone in trouble...). The deli (it's called Food Topic -- the best name ever) where I buy Patricia's corn muffin every morning is giving them out to all their "preferred customers" (including many who lost friends and co-workers in the attacks). The stationary store on Fulton St. sells me labels well below their usual price. And AtoZMusic -- the broker who's been arranging the pressing of the CD's -- has given me special consideration on every aspect of the deal.

Oh, and Stephanie and I are gonna play the song at the UN on November 30th...

Analysand Records
P.O. Box 60
Peck Slip Station
New York, NY 10038

Thanks to Lisa Zaslow , Ilka Peck, Marissa Armstrong, Mason Klein, Paula O'Gorman, Thomas Buckner, Larry Weaner, John and Betty Shober, Ruth and Arnold Hirsch, Judy Hirsch, Paul Bronstein, Barbara Malmet, Kathy Supove, Eve Beglarian, FEMA, Sherman Boim, Joann Giaquinto & Phill Niblock for their contributions.

- df