Jon Hassell GoFundMe launched to help the composer/trumpeter through hard times

A GoFundMe has been set up for composer and trumpet player Jon Hassell who, at 83, has long-standing health issues and “is in a dire position and needs financial assistance to ensure a safe and sustainable living situation going forward.” His friend and collaborator Brian Eno wrote the following:

Jon Hassell is one of the most influential composers of the last 50 years. His invention of what he called ‘4th World Music’ opened the way for a fresh look at, and deeper respect for, the music of other cultures around the world. His recordings have had a big impact on other musicians, and, through them, have changed musical tastes dramatically. His unique intellectual contribution is also noteworthy: he is a tireless and articulate theorist as well as a great musician.

Jon is going through hard times now. I feel that many of us owe him a debt of gratitude, so perhaps making a contribution to this fund is a way we can thank him.

You can contribute to Jon’s GoFundMe here.

In addition to his own recordings, Jon has played on records over the years by Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Terry Riley, David Sylvian, Tears for Fears, Lloyd Cole, Ry Cooder, Ani DiFranco, k.d. lang, and more. He released Listening to Pictures (Pentimento Volume One), his first new album in nine years, in 2019 and earlier this year reissued his debut, Vernal Equinox. Listen to those, along with his 1980 collaboration with Eno, Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics, below.