Results for "Pittsburgh"

Johnny Costa

Born: January 17, 1922

Johnny Costa was called "a phenomenal pianist" (Dick Hyman), "the Mozart of jazz piano" (Leonardo Meledandri), and "the White Tatum" (Art Tatum). I called Johnny my most precious friend. Costa was admired by many jazz giants: Benny Carter, Dave Brubeck, Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Scott Hamilton, Dick Hyman, Jack Teagarden, Mel Torme, Teddy Wilson, among many others. During the final decade of Johnny's life, I traveled to Pittsburgh many times, spending as much time with him as his failing health permitted. I met his family and many of his friends, all of whom have been gracious to me, particularly Debbie Costa Elwood, his daughter, and Clara Nelson, his sister, both who became good friends. I will never forget observing the respect, love, and admiration extended to Johnny everywhere we went— waiters at restaurants, the butcher at the market, the sound engineer at Audiomation recording studio, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and hundreds of fans who attended his final concert in Harrisburg, PA, men and women who followed his career for decades. This website is dedicated to Johnny Costa, the man I love, an extraordinary person and nonpareil pianist

Ray Brown

Born: October 13, 1926

Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one. With a vacancy in the high school jazz orchestra, he took up the double bass. A major early influence on Brown's bass playing was the bassist in the Duke Ellington band, Jimmy Blanton. As a young man Ray Brown became steadily more well known in the Pittsburgh jazz scene, with his first experiences playing in bands with the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet and the Snookum Russel band. After graduating from high school, hearing stories about the burgeoning jazz scene on 52nd Street, in New York City, he bought a one way ticket to New York. Arriving in New York at the age of twenty, he met up with Hank Jones, with whom he had previously worked, and was introduced to Dizzy Gillespie, who was looking for a bass player

Richie Cole

Born: February 29, 1948

Richie Cole fans continue to praise the jazz/bebop artist who is recognized worldwide for the sweet sounds of his alto sax and the creativity behind his Alto Madness Orchestra. The Alto Madness Orchestra was developed by Richie in the early 90's and its continuing popularity is proof of its uniqueness. "The idea of the Orchestra is the concept and sound of an eighteen-piece big band using only seven instruments, four of which are horns," explained Richie with pride. "Not only does this have the big band ensemble sound, it also allows us plenty of room for improvisation as if we were in a quartet setting," he added enthusiastically. Cole’s ability goes far beyond mesmerizing the audience with his saxophone because he does all the composing and arranging, having amassed over five thousand of the latter

Erroll Garner

Born: June 15, 1921

Born in Pittsburgh in 1921 (Sy Johnson's biographical note in The Erroll Garner Songbook has June 15, 1923 as Garner's birthdate), Errol Garner started playing piano at the age of two (three according to Johnson). He never learned to read music, probably because it was never a necessity for him. He learned to play the 'novelty' styles of Zez Confrey and others from listening to 78 records, a style which used steady left hand chord rhythms to support very free right-hand melodic interpretations. This provided a perfect basis for the hard-swinging jazz style that Garner was to pioneer. At the age of seven, Garner began appearing on radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh with a group called the Candy Kids, and by the age of eleven he was playing on the Allegheny riverboats

Benny Benack III

At the age of 28, Pittsburgh-born, New York-based Jazz trumpeter & singer Benny Benack III has quickly established himself as one of the most versatile and virtuosic voices of his generation. Hailed by the New York Times as “a charismatic young trumpeter who maintains an earnest sideline as a singer”, Benack has a knack for delighting audiences with panache, in the spirit of classic crooners like Sinatra & Mel Tormé, with a nod to legendary trumpet showmen Louis Armstrong & Dizzy Gillespie. Equally comfortable in both Jazz and Pop settings, Benack has worked with some of the greatest acts in music today, touring domestically as a trumpet soloist with Josh Groban, Ben Folds, fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi, as well as European engagements with Jazz Bass extraordinaire Christian McBride

Con Alma Announces Roger Humphries’ Thursday Night Residency

November 2, 2019

Con Alma is excited to announce a new Thursday night residency beginning on November 14. Pittsburgh drumming legend Roger Humphries, whom Horace Silver once described as “one of my best drummers”, will take the Con Alma stage every Thursday from 8:00PM- 11:00PM. Perhaps most famous for his contributions to Silver’s Song for My Father and Cape ...

Ravi Coltrane Quartet at the New Hazlett Theater

by Mackenzie Horne
October 15, 2019

Ravi Coltrane Quartet New Hazlett Theater Pittsburgh, PA October 5, 2019 Since 2007, the Kente Arts Alliance (KAA) has worked diligently to underscore the relationship between the arts and community by providing accessible cultural programming within the city of Pittsburgh. KAA has hosted a number of elder jazz statesmen, including Hugh ...

Pittsburgh’s newest jazz club Con Alma announces two exciting music series

September 20, 2019

Con Alma is excited to announce Latin Jazz Sundays and All-Pittsburgh Wednesdays. Starting in September, Con Alma will open its doors every Sunday from 5:00PM-11:00PM. Pittsburgh musicians will perform selections from the Latin music tradition from 7:00PM-10:00PM. The club will spin handpicked Latin vinyl selections on the house turntable between sets. The featured menu will include ...

Pittsburgh's Con Alma To Host Coltrane And Monk Birthday Celebrations

September 18, 2019

Con Alma is excited to announce upcoming celebrations in acknowledgment of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk’s birthdays. An observance of saxophonist John Coltrane’s birth will take place from September 18-September 23. During this special period, Con Alma’s house band, which showcases some of the finest talent in the Pittsburgh area, will perform selections from Coltrane’s prolific ...

Leon Lee Dorsey Explores The Music Of Thelonious Monk On "MonkTime," Bassist's First Album In 20 Years, Available Now!

October 30, 2019

Twenty years after the release of his last album, bassist Leon Lee Dorsey reassumes the mantle of a recording artist in his own right with the September 13 release of MonkTime (Jazz Avenue 1 Records). The debut of Dorsey’s DSC Band, which also includes guitarist Greg Skaff and celebrated drummer Mike Clark, features the trio applying ...