Pittsburgh's Own Regional Notables of Jazz
AFRO-AMERICAN MUSIC INSTITUTE CELEBRATES 36 YEARS
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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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Duke Ellington is first African-American and the first musician to solo on U.S. circulating coin
MARY LOU WILLIAMS
INTERVIEW
A Salute
Old Guard to my pride, are your days growing late?
Silver has replaced that blackened muzzle; this is life’s humorous fate.
A bag O' bones, a shell of the hull. …
I am sure I can remember back O’ so many waning moons ago. I recall the attitude of your warning, alerted fur on hunched shoulder row.
Your color so brilliant, as like the Osage split up the center, Youthfully dense your mane, and menacing as nature intended.
Time has been kind to the spirit, yet raids you of E’jira’s giving, The Simplest of creeds, for love and loyalty; kill or die trying.
Begotten son of Bronson, the Lacquered Black bastard, from Pandora the apricot Molosser. You, the ideal weapon, hailed as Thor~ God of thunder.
With pride of a Spartan, you secured our nights.
Immediate emotion commands, instinctively you fight.
With passions inflamed, defense was your intention.
From indifferent to deadly, these your duty’s limitations
Sad eyes, you would watch over my most valued possessions. You slept on the razors edge, dreaming of nothing less then our protections.
O’ bag a bones, sentinel grown weary.
Once, your commanding presents kept them humbled.
All, in your broad shadow they had trembled.
Your teethed smile sent them cowaring
Apha in my absence never daulting.
Friend to mine entails our enemies are as one.
Ever lasting loyalty until your life done.
True to the end, I have not need to discuss.
In your care, mine, I could only but trust.
The Conquering worm is trailing, I see he has worn thin your skin and put a sway to your back. Nothing be capable of evading the maggot, he always gets his snack.
We have mourned your lost from the start, You the outsized runt who placed joy into our heart.
When your time has ended, those many befriended will share their tales of your grace.
In the ground forever, immortalized, this will be your final rotting place.”
You shall be missed ~yet honored in stories so precious. Live in our accounts of a lost friend among us.
O’ bag of stones, my poor aging friend.
I will be here, to see you~ to see you to the end.
******
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