George Harrison’s legacy of compassion

Concert for Bangladesh, Oct. 7; Concert for George, Oct. 8

Written by Claire Levine

In 1971, George Harrison organized the world’s first major multi-artist concert. The Concert for Bangladesh raised awareness of genocide, a massive refugee crisis and a young nation’s liberation fight.

It also has raised millions of dollars for Bangladesh through ticket, album and film sales. This was just the first of Harrison’s enduring contributions to international relief programs.

In October, Portland area musicians will pay tribute to George Harrison’s compassionate spirit, as well as his immense talent, with back-to-back fundraising opportunities for the JWF Musician Health & Services Program.  The Concert for Bangladesh and the Concert for George/All Things Must Pass concerts will be recreated on consecutive nights this year, Oct. 7 and 8, at 8 p.m. at Revolution Hall.

In February 2020 – just before the earth stood still – Mark Bowden presented the Concert for George to a sold-out audience at Revolution Hall. And almost immediately afterward, he began getting requests for a reprise, as well as to add the Concert for Bangladesh. 

After rescheduling five times over the last two-and-a-half years, Mark has pinned down the consecutive dates, the venue – and about 40 musicians willing to donate their time to a huge endeavor.

While there is some overlap between the two shows, the content is different enough that many will want to attend both. A two-night pass is available at $49, while admission to individual shows is $29 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Musician Health & Services Program of the Jeremy Wilson Foundation.

The amount of preparation and coordination for these shows is phenomenal – from the hundreds of pages of charts prepared by JP Garau and Paul Brainard to the hours of practice by musicians who are volunteering a significant portion of their time to the cause. 

They are doing it for the love of the music. And they are doing it because they value the JWF Musician Health & Services Program.

Mark knows many in Portland’s music world who have been helped by grants and guidance from the JWF in ways that have made profound differences in their lives. But he sees musicians’ health as more than just an issue affecting individuals.

“One of the interesting things I have seen in the last year is the arts organizations opening up and providing experiences to breathe life back into the city.” Concerts in Pioneer Courthouse Square, music in Tom McCall Waterfront Park and the Polka Dot Project, creating mini-music venues throughout downtown, are all bringing vitality and spirit back to the central city.

“Having worked downtown throughout the pandemic, I know what it’s like to be in the city when nobody’s on the streets. And that’s not the way cities work. They’re meant to be filled with people experiencing, interacting. And the arts spark that impulse.”

The George Harrison tributes are a way of celebrating the music coming back to life. 

Mark hopes people will come to the shows to immerse themselves in Harrison’s genius. But he also sees the concerts as important ways to support the music culture. “Come to the show to be a part of the JWF community. But that’s just the start.

“Think about what you can do beyond that, because there’s such great need.”