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
Sometimes I feel like I am just running through life, from one phabulous and bizarre gig to another. It's inspiring, sometimes terrifying, always slightly frenetic, I have a friend teaching me some tai chi and kung fu now, maybe I will be able to better focus and be a little more disciplined in the future with my artistic goals..... But until then, please expect that I will make sure to let you know about my gigs at least 23 hours prior to their actual happening..... Unless of course you follow me on the myface space page social networking multiverse and get the event invites, which I try to announce at least 2 weeks prior, but sometimes you just have to follow my tweets and hope, and if that doesn't work for you, just light a candle and maybe my chi will sing to yours in the ether.....

So without further warning.....
Tomorrow Friday September 17, 2010
Live and in person, Phat Man Dee will be singing with Colter Harper and Miguel Sague III at the Backstage Bar, off of Katz Plaza, 655 Penn Ave, Downtown Pittsburgh, PA in the heart of the Cultural District..... No cover. Great menu, phenomenal cocktails.

It is a lovely way to start a weekend, and Goddess knows I have not had opportunity to sing to you all in town recently, though I have had some wonderful experiences out of town, I do get to missing my yinzers..... I just got back from singing in Ithaca, NY , I sang at a beautiful show put on by Heather Christ Halligan, she used to curate Lascaux Gallery with Bob Ziller, on South Side years ago, so just remember wherever you go, there's always a little piece of Pittsburgh waiting for you..... And then after seeing and singing for Heather and 500 of her best friends, I ran to Windber, PA to make a zombie movie, I shot several scenes with Butch Patrick (aka Eddie Munster) and I just can't wait to see what happens with that footage.....

So, I hope to see you tomorrow evening, and after my show I fully intend to head back to South Side, as my good beautiful friend Gena is singing with her Pittsburgh/Puerto Rican dance sensation, "Machete Kisumontao" at the Smiling Moose! It's gonna be hawt.....

And please keep your eyes peeled, I will be beginning the process of recording my 3rd album soon, as well as my first live performance dvd, and I have talked with my friends and colleagues about it, and we have decided that we should open the process up to our friends and fans, by way of starting a kickstarter fund raising campaign, I haven't decided the whats and how exactlies of it all just yet, but it seems to me that my friends and fans want to be involved and help me make it happen sooner rather than later, so I will let you know when I have the live campaign online. Some wonderful friends of mine have raised serious $$ to help them make their projects happen, from musical projects to hauling art across America and I think it is pretty exciting to think I could show you how we make the music and that you could actually be part of the process. The dvd part will be recorded live in Pittsburgh and I am looking at December..... so I shall keep you posted, and in the spirit of my new Tai Chi/ Kung Fu master, I shall do so with discipline and appropriate timing..... come to think of it, he's not so different from my vocal coach, and I bet she would kick his a$$ if he ever crossed her, which he never ever would, because he is the consummate gentleman..... even if he is 7 feet tall......

For your online perusing pleasure, my sources shared this video I didn't even know was out there, my good friend Puzzling Evidence posted this from a Northern California gig I did last year, in Sonoma County at the Dragon's Breath festival. It's a couple of songs I wrote for 2 friends of mine who aren't on this plane anymore. The pianist is a sweet blues man from New Orleans named Nelson Lunding.




Woops almost forgot!

Sat Sep 18th during the day I am participating in an "Art Chicks Garage Sale" hosted at the Melwood Compound, just a little further down Melwood St from the Pittsburgh Filmmakers, I have some weird stuff, Christiane D, Emay, Suz Pisano, Hilary Robinson, Leah McNaigle, it's a wild crew of women with lots of weird stuff to sell, so come on by after 11 am or so.... and then later that night I am hitting Lawrenceville, first to the Thunderbird where I am singing to Scheiny for her birthday party and then to New Amsterdam for my sweet friend Anthony Fugate's going away party, so if you want to find me, stalk stalk away..... it's the nature of this simultaneously voyeuristic and narcissistic world in which we live.... It is what it is..... Love and light and status updates.....
Yours from now until forever,
Mandee

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