Back in 2019, musician John Shannon envisioned establishing a premier jazz venue in Pittsburgh—a city with a deep and storied history of exceptional musicians. Partnering with executive chef Josh Ross and manager/beverage director Aimee Marshall, the trio opened Con Alma in the Shadyside neighborhood. The club quickly earned national recognition as one of the country’s top jazz venues. Its intimate, welcoming atmosphere proved ideally suited to the music, enhanced by rotating artisanal food offerings and an inventive cocktail program.
The club’s early momentum was soon challenged as COVID spread across the country. Undeterred, Shannon and his partners demonstrated remarkable resilience, pivoting to sidewalk performances accompanied by a rotating lineup of food trucks. Seeking to expand their footprint, the owners seized the opportunity in 2021 to open a second location on Penn Avenue, directly across from Heinz Hall. While the demands of operating two venues would eventually prove unsustainable, the move reinforced Con Alma’s growing presence in the city’s cultural landscape.
Ultimately, operations ceased at the Shadyside location, but the Penn Avenue venue continues to thrive, maintaining a robust schedule of local jazz luminaries alongside regional and national guest artists. A longtime vinyl devotee, Ross has carried forward a tradition begun on Ellsworth Avenue: between live sets, music spins on a turntable and stereo system, supported by a community vinyl library sustained by devoted patrons. Completing the warm, inviting ambiance are photographs celebrating some of Pittsburgh’s greatest jazz legends.
As any lover of live music knows, sustaining a music venue in today’s climate is a formidable challenge. Con Alma is no exception. In an effort to recover from significant financial setbacks, the club has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help offset accumulated debts. As stated in their pitch accompanying the campaign: “We launched this campaign to keep our doors open as we are experiencing financial troubles because of a few reasons related to past moves. One big reason is that we kept our first location in Shadyside open too long when it was no longer working. We did this because we loved it and because our community loved it. We kept trying new ideas to keep it afloat, but in the process of doing so, we deflated the backend business of our Downtown location. Anyone who works in the restaurant/venue industry knows it’s a very fickle industry with tight margins. Second, we had to get a substantial loan during Covid, which has hindered our progress and limited our ability to get back on our feet from said period of sending money from our Downtown location to our Shadyside location. Combined with having slow periods of business and no longer able to go through traditional loan routes, we had no choice but to go to our community because we believe Pittsburgh is a better place because Con Alma exists and we know the jazz community needs a home.”
Furthermore, the club will host a Fundraising Gala on Saturday, January 25, offering guests an immersive evening of live jazz music, elevated cuisine, and community celebration. Limited VIP tickets are available, with doors opening at 5:00 PM. Live music will feature internationally acclaimed trumpeter Sean Jones & Friends, performing with numerous special guest musicians from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM, creating a one-of-a-kind jazz experience rooted in spontaneity and collaboration.
Support Con Alma
The club’s early momentum was soon challenged as COVID spread across the country. Undeterred, Shannon and his partners demonstrated remarkable resilience, pivoting to sidewalk performances accompanied by a rotating lineup of food trucks. Seeking to expand their footprint, the owners seized the opportunity in 2021 to open a second location on Penn Avenue, directly across from Heinz Hall. While the demands of operating two venues would eventually prove unsustainable, the move reinforced Con Alma’s growing presence in the city’s cultural landscape.
Ultimately, operations ceased at the Shadyside location, but the Penn Avenue venue continues to thrive, maintaining a robust schedule of local jazz luminaries alongside regional and national guest artists. A longtime vinyl devotee, Ross has carried forward a tradition begun on Ellsworth Avenue: between live sets, music spins on a turntable and stereo system, supported by a community vinyl library sustained by devoted patrons. Completing the warm, inviting ambiance are photographs celebrating some of Pittsburgh’s greatest jazz legends.
As any lover of live music knows, sustaining a music venue in today’s climate is a formidable challenge. Con Alma is no exception. In an effort to recover from significant financial setbacks, the club has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help offset accumulated debts. As stated in their pitch accompanying the campaign: “We launched this campaign to keep our doors open as we are experiencing financial troubles because of a few reasons related to past moves. One big reason is that we kept our first location in Shadyside open too long when it was no longer working. We did this because we loved it and because our community loved it. We kept trying new ideas to keep it afloat, but in the process of doing so, we deflated the backend business of our Downtown location. Anyone who works in the restaurant/venue industry knows it’s a very fickle industry with tight margins. Second, we had to get a substantial loan during Covid, which has hindered our progress and limited our ability to get back on our feet from said period of sending money from our Downtown location to our Shadyside location. Combined with having slow periods of business and no longer able to go through traditional loan routes, we had no choice but to go to our community because we believe Pittsburgh is a better place because Con Alma exists and we know the jazz community needs a home.”
Furthermore, the club will host a Fundraising Gala on Saturday, January 25, offering guests an immersive evening of live jazz music, elevated cuisine, and community celebration. Limited VIP tickets are available, with doors opening at 5:00 PM. Live music will feature internationally acclaimed trumpeter Sean Jones & Friends, performing with numerous special guest musicians from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM, creating a one-of-a-kind jazz experience rooted in spontaneity and collaboration.
Support Con Alma
