Actor-singer Robert Davi has teamed up with legendary composer Randy Waldman and saxophonist Kenny G to produced a new jazz single that will benefit Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian charity that is providing coronavirus-related relief in New York and Italy.
The single, titled “Virus, Stay Away From The Door,” is available for purchase starting Friday from Amazon, iTunes, and other sites. The song — for which a video was produced — is a remix of the classic number “River, Stay Away from My Door,” by Mort Dixon and Harry M. Woods.
Watch below:
All the proceeds from each download will go to Samaritan’s Purse. The single also features Carlitos del Puerto on the bass, Dave Tull on drums, Mike O’Neill on guitar, and Bob McChesney on trombone.
“As the pandemic was creating more havoc, I wanted to do something that could raise money and entertain,” Robert Davi told Breitbart News, recounting how the project came together. “I had been thinking, what song would be good. I received a call from Randy and he mentioned the song. Randy said let’s do ‘River Stay Away from the Door.’ But he suggested we change it to Virus Stay Away from the Door!’
“Without a moment’s hesitation, I said let’s do it because it was a song I had been doing in my act.” the Die Hard and Goonies actor said. “We called on people we worked with. Randy made calls to Kenny G, who loved the idea and agreed to do all the saxophone parts. Bob McChesney did all the trombone parts. Dave Tull and Carlitos del Puerto — both of whom are part of my rhythm section along with Randy — everyone agreed to do their own parts at their home studios.”
“I did my vocal on an old RCA microphone at Randy’s House — we kept distance. Then I called Joe Wohlmuth and Steve Genewick, both whom we had worked with before — two of the finest sound engineers,” Davi continued. “Randy got the individual videos to Robert Kochkanyan, who did the editing along with Randy.”
Davi said they all agreed that no one would accept any fees for the single and they together agreed that it would be best to assist those who are saving lives.
“We wanted the proceeds from every download to go to charity. A major motivator for me was doing something for those brave souls that are on the front lines. All the nurses saving lives, the doctors, physician assistances, technicians, etc. So I reached out to Samaritan’s Purse. This group has helped people all over the world, no matter their race or creed or sexual orientation. And they were thrilled with the idea,” Davi said.
“Once we knew we had something, I called my label, Ingrooves UMG, for support. Lloyd Hummel from InGrooves put me in touch with his colleague Denise Garbo. They made this happen so quickly and helped get it up on all the online platforms,” Davi said. “I was hearing about the great work Samaritan’s Purse has been doing in New York, Italy, Africa, and around the world. I reached out to Franklin Graham on twitter. I received a message from Jonathan Fawcett of Samaritan’s Purse. I told him my idea and that I wanted all the proceeds to go to Samaritan’s Purse. Fawcett ran it up the flag and I was informed that they except donations in any form. Again, my label loved the idea of all the proceeds from every download going toward the effort to help those who are saving lives. Each download is directly helping that effort and people are getting a world-class piece of music in return.”
“The song also reiterates the need for physical distancing and it’s also uplifting for people quarantining,” Davi said. “In the meantime, I am writing, learning new songs, and spending time with my family. We are praying for America and the world, and we’re perhaps snacking too much — and watching a lot of news.”
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
Jerome Hudson is Breitbart News Entertainment Editor and author of the bestselling book 50 Things They Don’t Want You to Know. Order your copy today. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter and Instagram @jeromeehudson
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