This letter was rejected by the local mainstream print media.

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To the Editor:

( “Obituary: Max Roach/Innovative jazz drummer” Friday, August 17, 2007). Max Roach loved Pittsburgh. It was one of his favorite jazz towns. That’s what he told his fans who came out to  a…

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Home > Uncategorized > Mission Creep-y: @Public_Citizen Report Shows Google Uses Its…

I just endured the most surreal music education dialog of my entire life and am having a difficult time wrapping arms around it. While describing said discourse I will avoid all names or direct reference to the thread itself, because in all candor, I've grown weary of the head spinning logic that accompanied it.

First... a little background. Every so often, I converse with a first tier big city instrumentalist, who once performed with an iconic jazz figure. He is a very…

Nov 9, 2014

Pittsburgh lost a true legend and gentleman with the passing of Dr. Kwasi Jayourba on Tuesday, 11/4/14. He was a great teacher, performer, mentor, colleague, and most of all, my friend. Kwasi had an amazing life and career, and performed with jazz greats such as Groove Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Earl Garner, and Sonny Stitt. He also was friend with such greats as Max Roach, Miles Davis, and Armando Perazza. I will miss his many stories and am fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from…

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 

from an op-ed this morning in Wired……

Oct 29, 2014

October 10th marks the 97th birthday of Thelonius Monk. His music will be heard in an all-day marathon broadcast on WKCR.org  (WKCR 89.9 FM New York)

WKCR is not an ordinary radio station. On October 10, 1941, KCR began its initial broadcast playing Gene Krupa's, "Swing is Here" featuring Roy Eldridge, Chu Berry, Benny Goodman, Jess Stacy, Allan Reuss, Israel Crosby & Gene Krupa.  During KCR's first year, Monk was broadcast, through a remote pickup,  "live" from Minton's…

Most all of my music jazz music heros are, or were, black artists. It is sad to think of the hardships that many had to endure because of the regressive times like the 20"s and 30"s when some of the greatest black artist were struggling to be heard and find a place in the music world. We are all helpless products of our time and black artists reflected those bad times and, for most, overcame almost incredible odds to become artists. As a white pianist, it is very disturbing to be performing…

Sep 25, 2014

Sep 24, 2014

Roby and the band killed it again.  Great show and they played straight thru!

Aug 15, 2014

Great Divide at the Concert Hall

The International Contemporary Ensemble performing the music of Beethoven and the composer and…

Aug 8, 2014

What's jazz? It's an innocent enough question.  Get together a dozen 

aficionados who think they know and ask them.  You'll likely end 

up with a dozen different answers.  Is jazz just something made up

on the spot? Can anyone play it? How is it different from pop? 

Can you play it wrong?  Is it for dancing? If the Blue-hots have 

anything to say about it, jazz is an ingredient in a much larger…