Local saxophone colossus Skipp Pearon is used to receiving awards and honors by now: Over the course of his 50-plus-year career, Pearson — who’s played with such luminaries as Otis Redding and Sam Cooke — has been inducted into the South Carolina Jazz Hall of Fame; has received the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award for individuals artistic excellence, South Carolina’s highest artistic honor; and has been named South Carolina’s official ambassador of jazz by the state Congress.

Still, The Playlist bets this one’s extra special: Last Thursday, Pearson joined the distinguished international endorsed-artists roster of Conn-Selmer saxophones. Conn-Selmer is the largest stateside manufacturer or professional wind instruments; its parent company is Steinway Musical Instruments, makers of the famous eponymous pianos.

“I am honored to have been given the opportunity to endorse Conn-Selmer,” Pearson said in a press release. “This international recognition will make it possible for me to continue my personal mission of helping to ensure the longevity of live jazz music performances for generations to discover and enjoy. “

Long after they were a band that actually, you know, made records and toured and stuff, local boys done good Hootie and the Blowfish were a band that did — and still does — a lot of good. Lauded for their charity work, Darius, Mark, Dean and Soni have, among other things, sponsored the annual spring Monday After the Masters celebrity pro-am golf tournament, helmed the local Party Animals shelter-animal silent auction benefit, and, in 2006, built houses in post-Katrina New Orleans.

So it's no surprise, then, that the band's latest act was a charitable one: The Grammy-winning band has donated the rights to its chart-topping hit "Hold My Hand" to aid the working poor. "Hold My Hand" was the band's breakout single from Cracked Rear View, which went on to sell more than 16 million records.

The gesture was initiated by Hootie drummer Jim Sonefeld; Sonefeld teamed with the renowned Benedict College Gospel Choir to record a new, a cappella version of the song for a project called With A Little Love. (Those four words, of course, are the first lyrics to "Hold My Hand.")

"I was blown away by the choir's a capella interpretation of the song and decided — right then and there — to find a way to make it available for download, and give away the proceeds," Sonefeld says in a press release. "With A Little Love represents the coming together of many talented folks to help this often overlooked population and we are thrilled to be a part of it."

The song is available for download at withalittlelove.org. All proceeds from the sale of the song will benefit The Cooperative Ministry, a Columbia non-profit organization that serves the working poor.

Hey, remember that Sweet Vans show we told you about? The one tonight at Bey's? The one in celebration of the release of the hipster-satire-rap duo's You Got Time? remix EP?

Well, you can now download said EP on Sweet Vans' Bandcamp site. For the low, low price of free.

Bless you, Sweet Vans.