Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Jazz, the pharmaceutical company

When browsing American newspapers for the word "jazz" these days, aside from mention of the basketball team Utah Jazz you will find the pharmaceutical company "Jazz" which just settled a federal investigation and agreed to pay 20 million dollars. The company had marketed a drug agains the sleep-disorder narcolepsy for other unapproved uses, as treatment for chronic pain, weight loss, depression, bipolar disorder and Parkinson's Disease. An article about the hospital Kings Park Psychiatric Center in Long Island at least has some "real" musical connection to jazz. Here, attests Paul Vitello, jazz musicians "were especially frequent visitors" ( New York Times ). A retired psychiatric aide, for instance, "recalled watching with reverence as Bud Powell, the great jazz pianist, 'played for us on an old upright in one of the rec rooms of Building 93'". It was inspiring to all.

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