Tony Bennett donates instruments during jazz fest

NEW ORLEANS – Jazz crooner Tony Bennett handed out dozens of new instruments Thursday to students at a charter school founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, hoping the tubas, trumpets and trombones would be used to carry on New Orleans' vibrant musical tradition.

Meanwhile, the second half of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival got under way.

As Bennett shook hands with students and posed for photographs, some of the $100,000 worth of instruments were laid out on a table at KIPP Believe College Prep, a public charter school established after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city in 2005. The school is one of five KIPP charter schools serving roughly 1,000 of the city's students since Katrina.

"This means instruments will be available to these students for years to come, to continue making music history in New Orleans," said Bennett, who was treated Thursday to performances of "Free Spirit Overture" and "My Funny Valentine" by the school's symphonic and jazz bands.

"These kids are amazing. What I heard today was real music. They played with feeling, with such heart," the 82-year-old Bennett said.

The donation effort was set in motion by a jazz fan from New York who won a "Big Give" contest hosted by Oprah Winfrey's magazine. The winner, Barry Jaffin, wanted to use his $5,000 in winnings to put instruments in New Orleans schools.

Bennett and a host of charitable groups such as Music Rising and the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation got on board with the cause.

"We were all very excited," said 13-year-old Deon Butler, a 7th-grade trumpet player who performed in both the symphonic and jazz bands for Bennett. "Out of all the schools in the U.S., he came to hear us."

Bennett, a 15-time Grammy winner, released his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962 and remains a popular performer.

Bennett was accompanied Thursday by his wife, Susan Benedetto, who runs the couple's New York-based Exploring the Arts program, which contributed to the instrument donation. On Friday, Bennett is slated to perform at Jazz Fest, which kicked off its second weekend Thursday.

School groups from all over the city were scattered across the festival grounds. Besides listening to music, the kids got some hands-on craft experience. Jared Wilkerson, a 4th-grader at Hynes Charter School in New Orleans, helped 67-year-old carpenter Ray Weimer cut a piece of cypress wood to make an old-fashioned roof shingle.

"That was fun," Wilkerson said, chuckling with schoolmates.

Jazz Fest veterans were also having a good time.

"Jazz Fest is my religion," said Nancy Gates, a Boston native who said she has not missed a Jazz Fest since 1988. "This is the mother of all festivals, the best festival in the world. It has the best food, the best music and the best crowd. I love it all."

For the Ulf family from Kensington, Md., the festival is the site of a family reunion each year. Parents David and Ellen Ulf fly to New Orleans with their 19-year-old son, Ryan, to visit their daughter, 24-year-old Ellen, who lives there.

"We always time the trip to catch Jazz Fest," Ellen Ulf said, as she handed out cochon de lait po-boys and alligator pies to the rest of the family in a shady spot under a tree near the Cajun and zydeco stage.

"We like this stage because we don't have music like this where we live," David Ulf said. "I can see Neil Young anywhere. I can only see Corey Ledet here."

Young is slated to perform on Sunday, the festival's closing day. Thursday's closing acts were guitarist Ben Harper, country singer Emmylou Harris and soul singer Marva Wright.

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Jonas Brothers Ready to Get "Paranoid," Channel Johnny Depp

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Given the bomb that was the Jonas Brothers' 3-D movie, it's understandable that the Disney dudes get a little nervous before they drop their new album.

"Paranoid," the first single from Lines, Vines and Trying Times, lands on airwaves on May 8 and kicks off what is sure to be an exhaustive campaign and concert tour leading up to the album's June 16 drop date.

The promo tour has already launched with the boys gracing the cover of the latest issue of Seventeen magazine. And no matter how they're feeling about their latest venture—anxious, excited, whatevs—they aren't afraid to share their lofty goals.

For example, in addition to making music, 19-year-old Joe Jonas wants to be one of the most sought-after actors as well as pen one of the best-selling books in history.

"I think Johnny Depp's work is really great—he always incorporates music into what he does," he says when asked to list his acting role model. "[I also want to] write a book one day, because I love to read. The Alchemist [by Paulo Coelho] is my favorite book of all time."

Even if Kevin, Nick and Joe are uncertain of what's ahead, their label thinks the album just might change the world or something, calling it "an incredible music journey" and "a veritable smorgasbord of pop and rock gems."

With promises like that, the next single will probably be called "Insomnia."

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Court grants Redmond O'Neal rehab chance

LOS ANGELES – The son of Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett is getting a chance at a clean slate.

Redmond O'Neal was admitted into a drug court program on Thursday that could remove him from probation and wipe his record clear of previous drug convictions if he succeeds.

The 24-year-old will join an intense rehabilitation program that will include frequent drug tests and court appearances.

If he relapses or otherwise flunks the program, O'Neal faces several years in prison for a pair of drug convictions.

O'Neal became eligible for the drug court after he failed to pass a less stringent court-supervised rehab program.

O'Neal was stoic as Assistant District Attorney Anthony Estradas laid out the rules of the program, including that he would have to have his own job. The payoff, Estradas told O'Neal, would be a drug-free life and possibly a better relationship with his family.

"Jail will no longer be in your future," Estradas told O'Neal, who was wearing a brown jail jumpsuit.

He has been in custody since April 5, when deputies say they found him with heroin in a parking lot at Los Angeles area jail. He has pleaded not guilty to charges filed in that case.

O'Neal expressed regret recently, telling a judge his recent arrest was keeping him from being with his ailing mother. Fawcett is suffering from anal cancer that has spread to her liver and has suffered complications from an unrelated procedure performed in Germany.

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Hayden Panettiere: Wants to Footloose With Chace Crawford

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Chace Crawford could be playing footsies with Hayden Panettiere.

The Heroes starlet has auditioned for director Kenny Ortega's updated remake of the classic '80s flick Footloose.

Panettiere, my source says, recently sang for filmmakers (the new Footloose is being turned into a full-blown musical à la the Broadway version). "They were really impressed," the insider gushes. "No one realized what a good singer she is."

Panettiere actually has a slew of musical credits to her name. Not only did she release a pop single, "Wake Up Call," last year, but she's recorded several tunes for various soundtracks.

If she makes it the next round, Panettiere will likely have a dance audition followed by a read with Crawford. Her rep did not immediately comment for this story.

While Crawford isn't officially on board to star as Ren McCormack (originally played by Kevin Bacon), sources tell me the gig is pretty much a done deal.

Ren is a city boy who moves to small town where rock music and dance are prohibited. Ren heads up a revolt of sorts to overturn the oppressive laws. Panettiere would play Ariel Moore, who falls for Ren much to the chagrin of her boyfriend and her Bible-thumping father.

The original flick included hits like the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy."

The remake was supposed to star Zac Efron, but he dropped out to pursue non-song-and-dance projects.

As I first told you, Dancing With the Stars beauty/country singer Julianne Hough is also being considered for Ariel.

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