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.
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Harlem Street To Be Co-Named For Legendary 1958 Jazz Photo
Harlem Street To Be Co-Named For Legendary 1958 Jazz Photo
Over 60 years after the world's foremost jazz musicians assembled on a Harlem street for a photograph, the block will memorialize the event.
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A stretch of East 126th Street will be co-named for the famous photograph, "Harlem 1958," also known as "A Great Day in Harlem." (Art Kane – © 2021 Courtesy Art Kane Archive)EAST HARLEM, NY — On a Tuesday in August 1958, an impossibly stacked lineup of some of the world's foremost jazz musicians gathered on a brownstone-lined block in Harlem to pose for a photograph.
Charles Mingus stood on the stoop. Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams and Dizzy Gillespie posed on the sidewalk. Count Basie sat on the curb, joined by some local kids.
The man behind the camera was Art Kane, a 33-year-old freelance photographer on assignment from Esquire magazine, where it was published a few months later.
All told, 57 musicians made it into the shot, which became legendary in the ensuing decades for the talent contained within it. Known as "Harlem 1958," it even became the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary, "A Great Day in Harlem," whose title has become synonymous with the photo.
Now, on the 63rd anniversary of "Harlem 1958," the quiet block of East 126th Street where it was taken will be co-named in honor of the image and the photographer.
After a ceremony at 2:45 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, the block between Fifth and Madison Avenues will become known as "Art Kane Harlem 1958 Place," in honor of what organizers call "one of the most celebrated images in American history."
Speakers will include Jonathan Kane, the son of Art, who died in 1995.
"I'm incredibly honored," Jonathan told Patch. The co-naming, he said, is a tribute to the 57 musicians "as much as it is for the Kane family."
Living subjects to speak
Of the 57 musicians in the photo, only two are still alive: Rollins, who is now 90, and fellow saxophonist Benny Golson, who is 92. Though both are unable to attend, they sent remarks that will be read at the ceremony.
It was organized by the East Harlem nonprofit Uptown Grand Central as part of a long-term goal of creating a cultural walking tour through northeast Harlem.
The photo is inseparable from East Harlem, organizers note: many of the musicians met up at the New York Central Railroad (now Metro-North) train tracks before venturing out into the neighborhood.
Other speakers will include Dean Schomburg, a board member at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and Wayne Winborne, Executive Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University/Newark.
"Uptown is proud to honor the deep-rooted history of jazz here in Harlem, along with the visionary man who conceived and took this iconic photo more than 60 years ago," Uptown Grand Central chair Diane Collier said in a statement. "Along with the Harlem/East Harlem residents, we are pleased to memorialize this wonderful event with a street sign on the block where it all happened."
Thursday's ceremony will also feature a performance by jazz flutist Patience Higgins, along with the Sugar Hill Quartet. To learn more and attend, read about the ceremony on Eventbrite.
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