Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby on new benefit album

Parkinsong, Volume One: 38 songs of hope is set for release May 11. The double-disc compilation was produced by Lloyd Maines and features music from Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby & Graham Nash, Neko Case, Chuck Prophet, Eastmountainsouth, Caitlin Cary, Alejandro Escovedo, Greg Brown, Amy Rigby, Hot Club of Cowtown, Michelle Malone, Dar Williams, Jonatha Brooke and more.

Parkinson's Disease is a crippling condition that currently afflicts a million sufferers in the U.S. alone, slowly robbing their nervous systems of all motor skills.

One victim, Selma Litowitz, a retired high-school English teacher in Lawrence, N.J., has battled the disease for over 10 years. Inspired by her courage, her son and two daughters started ParkinSong Foundation, Inc. (www.parkinsong.com), a non-profit dedicated to using music to raise awareness and money to research new and innovative therapies for Parkinson's treatment.

The new album comes in the wake of two benefit concerts which helped launch ParkinSong Foundation, Inc. The first, in 2001, was hosted by former Litowitz student Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, and held at Lawrence High School, where Selma taught Stewart and thousands more over 20 years.

Bonnie Raitt photo by Paul Robicheau

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