Pittsburgh's Own Regional Notables of Jazz

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PITTSBURGH JAZZ

From Blakey to Brown, Como to Costa, Eckstine to Eldridge, Galbraith to Garner, Harris to Hines, Horne to Hyman, Jamal to Jefferson, Kelly to Klook; Mancini to Marmarosa, May to Mitchell, Negri to Nestico, Parlan to Ponder, Reed to Ruther, Strayhorn to Sullivan, Turk to Turrentine, Wade to Williams… the forthcoming publication Treasury of Pittsburgh Jazz Connections by Dr. Nelson Harrison and Dr. Ralph Proctor, Jr. will document the legacy of one of the world’s greatest jazz capitals.

Do you want to know who Dizzy Gillespie idolized? Did you ever wonder who inspired Kenny Clarke and Art Blakey? Who was the pianist that mentored Monk, Bud Powell, Tad Dameron, Elmo Hope, Sarah Vaughan and Mel Torme? Who was Art Tatum’s idol and Nat Cole’s mentor? What musical quartet pioneered the concept adopted later by the Modern Jazz Quartet? Were you ever curious to know who taught saxophone to Stanley Turrentine or who taught piano to Ahmad Jamal? What community music school trained Robert McFerrin, Sr. for his history-making debut with the Metropolitan Opera? What virtually unknown pianist was a significant influence on young John Coltrane, Shirley Scott, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Timmons and Ray Bryant when he moved to Philadelphia from Pittsburgh in the 1940s? Would you be surprised to know that Erroll Garner attended classes at the Julliard School of Music in New York and was at the top of his class in writing and arranging proficiency?

Some answers can be gleaned from the postings on the Pittsburgh Jazz Network.

For almost 100 years the Pittsburgh region has been a metacenter of jazz originality that is second to no other in the history of jazz. One of the best kept secrets in jazz folklore, the Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy has heretofore remained mythical. We have dubbed it “the greatest story never told” since it has not been represented in writing before now in such a way as to be accessible to anyone seeking to know more about it. When it was happening, little did we know how priceless the memories would become when the times were gone.

Today jazz is still king in Pittsburgh, with events, performances and activities happening all the time. The Pittsburgh Jazz Network is dedicated to celebrating and showcasing the places, artists and fans that carry on the legacy of Pittsburgh's jazz heritage.

WELCOME!

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Duke Ellington is first African-American and the first musician to solo on U.S. circulating coin

MARY LOU WILLIAMS

INTERVIEW

In Her Own Words

PITTSBURGH JAZZ CHANNEL - 24/7

PITTSBURGH MUSIC HISTORY

THE PERIODIC TABLE OF JAZZ HISTORY

PITTSBURGH JAZZ CHANNEL

PITTSBURGH MUSIC - CLP

OPEN SKY JAZZ

PITTSBURGH- THEN and NOW

RE-KONCEPTION RADIO

Featured Blog Posts (720)

New group

I'm forming a new limitless jazz fusion group. The current line up consists of myself on drums, a bass and a guitar.

We're seeking a strong piano/key player with an aptitude for both writing and improvisation.

And.. A female vocalist

Many many influences: Christian McBride, The Bad Plus, Matthew Garrison, Stefon Harris, Roger Humphries/RH Factor....etc...as well as other genres.

This project could and probably will head in any and all directions... jazz, nu/jazz,… Continue

Added by Adam Henderson on April 17, 2009 at 12:17am — 2 Comments

Jody Jaress in "Chain Link" award winning film now available on DVD!!

Hello my new PJN friends!! I don't know if this is 'where' I would post a shameful plug or not. I'm new to these sites. I hope it's okay...and sorry it's not music oriented, but .... If you haven't seen this award winning film, "CHAIN LINK" starring Mark Irvingsen,

Jody Jaress, Jim Storm, and many other amazing actors, now you can!! Our theatrical run in LA, NY, Philly, Arizona, Florida, etc. is over and now "CHAIN LINK" will be available on DVD!! Rent, buy... pick up or… Continue

Added by Jody Jaress on April 8, 2009 at 8:13am — No Comments

IF YOU ARE A JAZZ FAN, YOU HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY A PITTSBURGHER.

In an era of world music, it is imperative that America's most important cultural contribution to the world… Jazz music… be preserved, taught, expounded, developed and commemorated. We have dedicated ourselves toward to recreating a physical and virtual context within which the above purpose can be fulfilled in Pittsburgh, one of the most fertile breeding grounds for icons of the culture. A state-of-the-art space of historical or… Continue

Added by Dr. Nelson Harrison on April 8, 2009 at 3:00am — 6 Comments

The Next Page: Pittsburgh's jazz mystique -- the next generation steps up *

Dwayne Dolphin, Howie Alexander and Sean Jones -- three jazz artists tending the Pittsburgh flame

Sunday, April 05, 2009

By Steve Hallock

Stacy Innerst

The house band at CJ's in the Strip District had just finished off a rousing "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" to whoops from the packed room at a recent Thursday night jam session. Roger Humphries turned over his drum set to a reedy kid named Joey Sailor as the musicians launched Miles Davis' "So… Continue

Added by Dr. Nelson Harrison on April 5, 2009 at 8:39pm — 2 Comments

APRIL IS JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH!!

http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/jam/jam_start.asp

Added by Musique Noire on April 2, 2009 at 1:26am — No Comments

Saturday Daily News Article about network, events

ALL THAT JAZZ

Network keeps Pittsburgh’s music legacy alive

By ERIC SLAGLE Daily News Staff Writer

eslagle@dailynewsemail.com

Now that April is here, the question is what to do for Jazz Appreciation Month.

You could travel to the Smithsonian Institution, (which designated the month-long observance), in Washington, D.C., or any city that comes to mind when thinking of jazz, such as New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, L.A. or New York.

That would be sort of silly,… Continue

Added by Slaglerock on April 4, 2009 at 7:29pm — 4 Comments

PITTSBURGH JAZZ RECORDS AND BEYOND, 1950-1985

4.1 GATEWAY: HAROLD BETTERS, WALT HARPER, AND OTHERS

The prosperity of Pittsburgh’s jazz scene continued through the early and mid 1960s. This prosperity was augmented by the beginnings of a more visible jazz recording industry, spearheaded almost single-handedly by the Gateway label. Jazz on Gateway was actually a relatively small portion of the label’s output, as the company issued records in many genres, most notably Eastern European folk music through an extended series of… Continue

Added by Harold Betters on March 27, 2009 at 3:07am — No Comments

The Negro

The Negro

With the trumpet at his lips

Has dark moons of weariness

Beneath his eyes

Where the smoldering memory

Of slave ships

Blazed to the crack of whips

About his thighs...

The music

From the trumpet at his lips

Is honey

Mixed with fire.

The rhythm

From the trumpet at his lips

Is ecstasy

Distilled from old… Continue

Added by Harold Betters on March 27, 2009 at 4:00am — No Comments

Miles Davis 1987 Gig Released on DVD

Miles Davis’ 1987 concert in Munich is being released on DVD as That’s What Happened: Live In Germany (Eagle Rock Entertainment) on April 28. The 90-minutes of concert footage features staples from Davis’ late ’80s concert repertoire, including his takes on Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” Other tracks include the “One Phone Call / Street Scenes / That’s What Happened” medley, “New Blues,” “Tutu” and “Portia.”… Continue

Added by Magdalena Vaida on March 28, 2009 at 6:41am — No Comments

Visual art, music unite in 'Seeing Jazz'

Jazz will be the soundtrack for art, literature and Black History Month this evening at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in the North Side.

Taken together, the music and the images will provide "jazz you can see and art you can hear," says Marty Ashby, program director at the Guild.

The event is a reception for artists of works in the "Seeing Jazz: A Tribute to the Masters" exhibit now on display at the Guild's Connie Kerr Gallery and the North Lobby.

The… Continue

Added by Harold Betters on March 29, 2009 at 8:21pm — No Comments

Concert with Trinity Jazz Orchestra featuring Steve Hawk!

Concert Friday April 6, 2009 7:00 p.m.

Check out www.trinityjazz.com

http://academics.sru.edu/music/SRU%20Music%20Faculty/stephenhawk.html

http://www.hopewell.k12.pa.us/

See you there!

Added by Terrence on March 30, 2009 at 6:36pm — No Comments

Eric Johnson has released 'Supahighway'

here's some links : Clarion Jazz
Eric Johnson
Itunes or just google "Eric Johnson Jazz"

Added by Dan Wasson on March 28, 2009 at 8:14pm — 2 Comments

Unsolved Mystery: So just who IS this fine brother in the photo with Marilyn Monroe (circa 1952)?

If photos could speak, this one would have quite a story to tell:

The year was 1952. Marilyn Monroe, a rising star along with clothing designer William Travilla were seated at a table in a South Central Los Angeles nightclub (as reported by one of the news sources) along with what I would have to call an extremely handsome black man looking square into the camera. According to the brief news clip I heard, Marilyn's handlers were determined to… Continue

Added by Janie Gust on March 14, 2009 at 11:30pm — 1 Comment

THE STATE OF JAZZ podcast with Diva JC on blogtalkradio.com

Nelson Harrison was my guest on my MUSICWOMAN LIVE! podcast on February 18, about

THE STATE OF JAZZ with other notable jazz aficianado's and musicians. This show is archived at …

Continue

Added by Diva JC on February 28, 2009 at 6:30pm — No Comments

East Liberty's AVA Lounge is a haven for jazz heads on Monday nights - Pittsburgh City Paper feature article

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER FEBRUARY 26, 2009 BY STEVE HALLOCK...

Cymbal crashes and electric-piano chords accompany the twirls and kicks of the combatants in the kung-fu film up on the wall behind the bar. Considering the size of the boisterous crowd at East Liberty's AVA Lounge -- 50 or so folks jammed into the slender room -- it ought to be a Friday or Saturday night. But it's a Monday. On what's considered the week's dead night for… Continue

Added by Dr. Nelson Harrison on March 4, 2009 at 1:07am — 9 Comments

Amazing young Jazz piano player Pittsburgh native Derrick Finch is killed in a car crash in Los Angeles on 2-17-09

I was just returning to 'The Village', walking over to my friend Matt to say hello and he informed me a few minutes ago that Derrick Finch was lost to us in a car accident. My breath literally leapt from my chest. I knew Derrick Finch quite well here in Los Angeles. I called him Dr. He stumbled over the correct pronunciation of my name... it was an inside joke we shared - and we shared it about a week ago here in Leimert Park.

Dr. Finch was a brilliant man. He loved Jazz. HE LOVED… Continue

Added by Waberi on February 20, 2009 at 1:30am — 3 Comments

The State of Affairs for Radio Advertising

Here is something that some of you will be interested in. Now if this is talking about commercial radio in general where do you think this leaves the remaining Jazz stations and public radio?

Kevin

**

Signal Fading: Radio 4Q Revs Down 11%

by Erik Sass, Friday, February 20, 2009

Feeling the effects of the sharp economic downturn, radio took another big hit in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. Total ad revenues… Continue

Added by Kevin Amos on February 23, 2009 at 4:46pm — No Comments

What happened to the Jazz Jam Session?

Early in the evolution of jazz music, jam sessions became the opportunity for players to develop musical ideas, learn repertoire and phrasing, performance conventions, and learn from their peers. Probably the most famous jazz jam session was held on Monday nights at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, NY, starting in 1941. Swing Era soloists such as jazz saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and jazz trumpeter Roy Eldridge joined the house band, which included Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke,… Continue

Added by Monika Herzig on February 23, 2009 at 12:07am — 4 Comments

THE COMMERCIAL STATE OF JAZZ IN THE NEW MILLENIUM

There is a discussion on The Washington DC Network re: returning jazz back to commercially advertising radio stations. The discussion was initiated by my close friend and native Pittsburgher, Mickey Bass, an extraordinarily talented and venerated bassist. After reading the developing thread there I left a short comment but have decided to start another thread on this network that perhaps will move in another direction. Please join in both discussions if you like. It's all… Continue

Added by Dr. Nelson Harrison on February 21, 2009 at 9:00pm — 17 Comments

BRILLIANT YOUNG PIANIST DR. DERRICK R. FINCH DIES IN AUTO CRASH IN LOS ANGELES

It is with deep regret and and a heavy heart that we announce the death of member Derrick R. Finch, who was killed in an auto accident today in Los Angeles where he was attending graduate school. He was one of the finest pianists of his generation and destined to be a major star in the great Pittsburgh lexicon of jazz pianists. He was a good friend and an early member of this network. He is also the first member to pass through transition. He will always have a page on this network and… Continue

Added by Dr. Nelson Harrison on February 19, 2009 at 10:30pm — 36 Comments