On the heels of the recent successful City of Asylum Jazz/Poetry Concert, the New Hazlett Theater is presenting an evening of networking and discussions on Pittsburgh’s jazz scene as they explore developing jazz programming at their venue.

On Sunday, September 28, 2008 their FREE monthly happy hour, Last Days Café, will offer Pittsburgh’s creatives a chance to join in discussions on a new networking tool on the internet aimed at connecting jazz musicians and fans, opportunities and collaborations, and availability of music venues. The evening will round out with a live jazz performance.

Last Days Café is a casual “salon” open to everyone, where spontaneous creative conversations are accompanied by complementary appetizers and drinks. Artists, musicians, writers, dancers, poets, performers, and arts administrators are invited to stop in and talk about projects, plans, ideas, and interests. Often the key to unique opportunities is discovering who is doing what and interacting regularly with a circle of colleagues who are working creatively. The Last Days Café also provides a forum through which Pittsburgh’s creative community can become more familiar with the resources available to them as they create new work, consider forming a new organization, or think about how, when and where to show their work.

The special guest this month to help lead the discussion will be Nelson Harrison, the founder of the online Pittsburgh Jazz Network (https://jazzburgher.ning.com/). The site has become a fertile location for musicians to network and make connections with other musicians and fans.

Harrison has been a player in the Pittsburgh jazz scene since the late 50’s, when he began doing gigs at the renowned jazz club, Crawford Grill No. 2 in the Hill District. Since then, this multi-tasking composer, arranger and soloist has played with Kenny Clarke, Billy Eckstine and Earl “Fatha” Hines, Jay McShann, Slide Hampton, and with the Count Basie Orchestra (1978-81). He has recorded with Walt Harper, Nathan Davis and Count Basie, and was co-leader of jazz groups featuring singer Andy Bey and drummer Joe Harris. He is currently active in Pittsburgh with Gary Racan and the Studio-E Band, The Blues Orphans, Roger Humphries Big Band, Bill Dell and Wee Jams, and his own jazz bands The World According to Bop, Jazz ‘N Jive, Dr. Jazz and the Salty Dawgs, Blue to the Bone, and Nelson Harrison and Associates.

PLEASE RSVP TO DSCIRANKA@AOL.COM