HELP BUILD THE FUTURE OF JAZZ IN PITTSBURGH

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

PITTSBURGH

We Need Your Voice... I write to you, esteemed Jazz stakeholders, to invite you to lend your input and your voice at Pittsburgh's first-ever JazzHubs in America Summit. This brand new, nation-wide pilot initiative, created by the Jazz Forward Coalition (JFC), aims to help strengthen the power of a cooperative Jazz market. Through collaborative participation, you can help build a stronger and more robust Pittsburgh Jazz presence. But we need you there! As your local JazzHubs coordinator, I invite you to save the date for Monday, June 26, 2017 to attend the  JazzHubs in America Pittsburgh Summit. Please find all of the details below, and I look forward to working with you...together!   - Thomas Wendt, Pittsburgh JazzHubs in America, Local Coordinator Help Build the Future of Jazz in Pittsburgh Jazz Forward Coalition (JFC) has selected Pittsburgh to host a series of Summits — three meetings taking place over the next 12-15 months — to inform concrete actions that could help make the region a better place to hear, play, and study Jazz. These Summits are part of JFC's pilot initiative called JazzHubs in America. Pittsburgh's own, MCG Jazz has partnered with JFC since its inception to work towards creating tools and opportunities to advance the Jazz Industry. You have been identified as a key stakeholder to take part in this effort; and we hope you’ll consider joining us at this meeting to offer your view on the issues that affect our community: JazzHubs in America: Pittsburgh Summit One Monday, June 26th, 2017 1 - 5 pm THIS IS RED 1 Library Place, Munhall, PA 15120 There is no charge to attend the Summit. Direct questions and RSVP to: Tom Wendt [e-mail] JazzHubs in Amercia - Pittsburgh Summit #1 Location - THIS IS RED "The Hubs" JazzHubs in America is hosted by four Jazz organizations across the nation tasked to explore a stronger, more robust commercial and cultural Jazz presence — locally and nationally: The Nash - Phoenix, AZ MCG Jazz - Pittsburgh, PA PDX Jazz - Portland, OR Smithsonian Jazz - Washington, D.C. JazzHubs in America Receives Doris Duke Grant Singled out by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s National Projects Fund as the sole award recipient for Jazz, JazzHubs in America was declared “…an exemplary program to provide an infrastructure for a dynamic exchange of ideas, resources and demand building best practices that can be replicated around the country.” – Maurine Knighton, Program Director, Arts at DDCF  Who is Jazz Forward Coalition? Jazz Forward Coalition (JFC) is a diverse and inclusive alliance of Jazz professionals and artists devoted to advancing the genre and industry through coalescence and collective action by building capacity, facilitating partnerships, and increasing demand. JFC, in partnership with JazzTimes, co-organizes and -hosts the annual Jazz Connect Conference in New York, the largest gathering of Jazz stakeholders in the U.S. Through collective engagement, JFC also expands their mission by presenting at such conferences as APAP, JEN, and Chamber Music America. JFC continues to work on partnership development and legislative efforts to advance the cause of Jazz.

JazzHubs Resources NATIONAL JAZZ COMMUNITY SURVEY HIGHLIGHTED SURVEY QUOTES Local Contact Tom Wendt JazzHubs Local Coordinator [e-mail] National Contacts Shannon Wallace JFC/JazzHubs National Coordinator [e-mail] Peter Gordon JFC Founder/CEO

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Now THAT's what I'm talking about!!! Your brief litany of acts you saw there is such an important eye witness story, especially for those who were not able or too young to have experienced such greatness up close and personal.  You may also remember J. J. Johnson, Monte Alexander, Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Stitt, James Moody to name a few more.  I played there with Harold and used to be his regular sub on Thursdays.  I also played there with my own groups, Andy Bey and Nathan Davis. Art Swiden ruled the venue and later Bobby Davis took over.  Owner Will Shiner would often stop by and Lenny Litman would review the groups for the Post-Gazette.

I saw Chet Baker, Philly Joe Jones, Richard "Groove" Holmes and Ahmad Jamal at Encore II on Liberty.  Keep those memories coming.  YOU WERE THERE!!!

[Shawn Cohen]

Thank you, Dr. Nelson, you are to be commended for this place where we can share our memories. I had a wonderful experience of learning about jazz at the Encore, which was one of THE places to see live jazz being played nightly in Pgh in the mid 1970's. From 1976-79 I saw the great Harold Betters who was the house band at the Encore and his brother Jerry Betters would also come and play and sing. Then the list is long..George Benson came in to celebrate his "Breezin'" LP going up the charts and got up and played there and I remember Art (the manager) calling him, "Little Georgie Benson" because he used to come there as a boy genius to play there with his father! I also worked downtown at the Encore II, my Aunt Betty used to book some of the Jazz acts out of New York to the Encore downtown (how I got the job!) and she also booked comics, so Rodney Dangerfield was one of hers then. I remember Dizzy Gillespie's cheeks blowing up like two balloons when he blew into his trumpet! Never saw anything like it before and I just stood there in front of the stage mesmerized with my drinks tray in my hand! I was waitressing at the time and man, I could not move just watching and listening to Dizzy play! Then there was Cleo Lane, Blossom Dearie (my Aunt booked her too) and Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert too played the Encore. Duke Ellington, Bobby Blues Bland, Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughn, just to name a few. The real question is who DIDN'T play there! I was lucky because I heard great jazz live every single night I worked there and what an education! Keep Jazz alive in Pittsburgh, it truly belongs there and has such a rich history of it. To this day, Jazz FM is on my dab radio in my London home every single day...that is because of my early education in Jazz and me and my cat both love it!  

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Shawn,

The Encore I was a fabulous place. Please share some of your memories here , on your page or anyplace else on this network.

[Shawn Cohen]

Great idea to keep JAZZ alive and well and growing stronger especially in Pgh which has so many connections to it as a musical form, its history is littered with jazz greats, from artists to legendary venues and smoky clubs! I know, I worked at one, called The Encore, in Shadyside and Downtown in the 1970's...great place, even better Jazz!