PROGRESSIVE MUSIC COMPANY

AFRO-AMERICAN MUSIC INSTITUTE CELEBRATES 36 YEARS

BOYS CHOIR AFRICA SHIRTS
 
 
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/building-today-for-tomorrow/x/267428

 Pain Relief Beyond Belief

                         http://www.komehsaessentials.com/                              

 

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

William Hughes, trombonist with Count Basie Orchestra, dies at 87


William Hughes, 87, retired Trombonist for the Count Basie Orchestra.
William Hughes, 87, retired Trombonist for the Count Basie Orchestra.(Jan Sommar



STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Longtime West Brighton resident William H. (Bill) Hughes, who played trombone with the world-renowned Count Basie Orchestra, died Jan. 14 in Clove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, Castleton Corners. He was 87.

Born March 28, 1930, in Dallas, Texas, he relocated to Washington, D.C., in his adolescence.

Mr. Hughes was introduced to music by his father, Joseph, who also played trombone.

"I'd tag along to rehearsals with him and I thought it might be fun to learn to play," he told the Advance in 2003. "But I never thought of making a career out of music."

Mr. Hughes took up the trombone in junior high school and continued in high school, playing gigs at the local Elks Club with his dad. While he was in his third year as a pharmacy major at Howard University, he got a call from his friends who were playing with the Count Basie Orchestra in New York. A seat in the 17-member orchestra was empty and they had recommended him to Count William Basie.

Mr. Hughes traveled to New York from Washington for the audition.

"I thought I'd be back the next day and that would be the end of it. Boy, was I wrong," he said.

Mr. Hughes credited his wife, Dolores, for urging him to stick with music as a career.

"When I asked her what should I do, she said to me, 'Not many people get a chance to do what they love to do and get paid for it.' It hasn't made me a millionaire, but it's certainly had its rewards."

Mr. Hughes began his career with the band in 1953 and settled in West Brighton approximately a decade later.

As a valued member of the Count Basie Orchestra, Mr. Hughes traveled the globe, entertaining crowds at world-famous festivals and venues, and performing for royal families.

Mr. Hughes also performed and recorded with noted vocalists, including Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Eckstine, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams.

After working in the orchestra for 57 years, Mr. Hughes retired in 2010.

In his leisure time, he enjoyed solving crossword puzzles, fishing, watching baseball, reading and spending time with family and friends.

In addition to his wife of 65 years, Dolores, surviving are his daughter, Gwendolyn Hughes; his son, Steven Hughes; six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

His son, David, died in 2014.

Visitation will be held Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Stradford Home for Funerals Home, West Brighton, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Mount Sinai United Christian Church, New Brighton. A service will follow at 1 p.m. Arrangements include cremation.

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My mentor and section-mate during my two years with the Count Basie Orchestra ('78-80) and a dear friend since then.  My love and condolences to Do & family. It was an honor to know such a great man.

My condolences to those who were touch by this wonderful musician William Hughes, especially his family. We have lost yet another one of our jazz family members.

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