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When the Music Came Home: A Jazz Celebration for William
For our new resident William, jazz wasn’t just something he loved; it was clearly part of who he is. That’s why we brought an incredible group of well-known musicians to play live jazz, just for him.
At Morning Light, our Making Memories program is about bringing wishes to life for individuals on hospice, honoring the passions, stories, and moments that matter most.
A few weeks ago, we welcomed William to the Morning Light Home. A lifelong jazz drummer, originally from New Orleans and later pursuing his music in California, it didn’t take long to understand what had shaped so much of his life. Jazz wasn’t just something he loved; it was clearly part of who he is.
William is an all-around great guy, with a sharp sense of humor and an easy way about him. So we shared a simple hope with our friends on our socials, that we’d love to surround him with the music he loves by bringing live jazz into the Morning Light Home. What happened next is what Making Memories is all about.
Our community showed up. Messages came in. Connections were made. And through the kindness and generosity of so many, especially Joseph Haskins Jr., a former board member, friend of Morning Light, and jazz fan, something beautiful began to take shape and then, one Wednesday afternoon, the music arrived.
Playing for one of their own – Clifford Ratliff, Bill Myers, Nathaniel Hanker, John Oliver, and Carl Hines.
An incredible group of well-known musicians filled the home with live jazz, Jazz Hall of Fame legend Clifford Ratliff on trumpet, the equally well-known Bill Myers on bass, Nathaniel Hanker on saxophone, John Oliver on drums, and Carl Hines on keyboard. The sound carried through the halls, transforming the home into something alive with authentic live jazz. By William’s side was his daughter, Cheryl, and together they shared in a moment as if seated in the front row of the Jazz Kitchen. Even though her father is on hospice, in that hour or two all that mattered was living and experiencing the incredible energy great musicians create when brought together. You could see it in their faces, hear it in the laughter between songs.
Other residents gathered, tapping along, smiling as the music reached them. For a while, the entire home felt the magic William’s wish had brought into our nonprofit home.
This is the heart of Making Memories.
It’s not always about grand gestures. It’s about recognizing what matters most to someone and finding a way, together, to bring it back to them. And for William, the wish would continue into the following day, as a different kind of jazz musician had also agreed to come play for him, a double blessing!
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