Results for "Pittsburgh"

Pittsburgh's Jazz Days of Winter Set for February 16-23, 2019

January 31, 2019

By Mackenzie Horne Dwindling attendance is perhaps the most serious threat to the well-being of today's regional jazz circles, and addressing this issue requires an approach that is as authentic as it is aggressive. Problems with attendance and participation seem to be amplified in a metropolitan area as small as Pittsburgh, and past history ...

Jessica Lee

Born: September 2, 1969

Jessica Lee is an American Jazz & Blues singer with a unique voice influenced by Jazz, Blues, Rhythm & Blues and Inspirational music.  She performs "Classic," "Contemporary" and "Crossover" Jazz & Blues, and has produced shows with innovative, customized themes for charity performances and for concerts at theaters, festivals, jazz & blues clubs, arts centers and country & urban clubs throughout the country.  Jessica has had the pleasure of writing, recording and performing with wonderfully talented musicians, including a long collaboration with guitar great Mark Strickland and with some of her favorite Jazz mentors.

48th Annual Pitt Jazz Seminar

by Mackenzie Horne
November 18, 2018

48th Annual Pitt Jazz Seminar Various Venues Pittsburgh, PA November 1-3, 2018 The Pitt Jazz Seminar took place the first weekend of Novenmber under the musical direction of Terri Lyne Carrington; Thursday, Friday, and early Saturday were packed with guest lectures while the all-star concert was scheduled for 7:30 on Saturday ...

The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra at Greer Cabaret Theater

by Mackenzie Horne
November 15, 2018

Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Greer Cabaret Theater The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's International Festival of Firsts Pittsburgh, PA November 6, 2018 The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra (PJO) rounded out the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's International Festival of Firsts with their concert, titled “Liberation" in tribute to the prolific African American writer, philosopher, and advocate ...

Pittsburgh Jazz Days of Summer Pittsburgh’s Inaugural Jazz Week Commences With Great Success August 10-19, 2018

August 25, 2018

An initiative came together in the Pittsburgh Jazz community to create a ten-day series of events for the city. The program called Pittsburgh Jazz Days of Summer was developed by the committee that grew out of the JazzHubs America project. Pittsburgh was selected along with Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; and Washington, DC to hold a series ...

Keys to Your Heart

Keystone Jazz Collective, Co-Founded By Pittsburgh Trombonist Reggie Watkins & Philadelphia Bassist Nimrod Speaks, Announces New Organization & July Concerts

June 26, 2018

The Keystone Jazz Collective is a tale of two Pennsylvania cities. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, not to mention the surrounding regions, have brought far more than their share of jazz to the world. Whether it’s Billy Strayhorn and Art Blakey from Pittsburgh, Henry Mancini from the nearby town of Alquippa, or Benny Golson, John Coltrane, and McCoy ...

Jared Sims

Born: August 30

JARED SIMS performs on all of the saxophones as well as clarinet and flute. He has toured throughout the United States and in Europe, South America, Asia and India. Sims has performed live with an array of artists that include Han Bennink, Cecil McBee, Bob Brookmeyer, Stefon Harris, Landau Eugene Murphy, Temptations, Four Tops, Melvin Sparks, Soulive, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers), DJ Logic, Kiddus I, Matisyahu, the 10,000 Maniacs, and Noel Gallagher (Oasis). Sims has also performed with large ensembles such as the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. He has been involved in jazz recording projects with Antonio Sanchez, Dave Liebman, Anat Cohen, Cecil McBee, and Matt Wilson. Sims has performed at Montreal Jazz Festival, Cleveland'sTri-C Jazz Festival, Flint (Michigan) Jazz Festival, Beantown Jazz Festival (Boston), New Haven (Connecticut) Jazz Festival, Quito Jazz Festival (Ecuador), Telluride (Colorado) Jazz Festival, and Northsea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Sims has appeared on more than 40 different recordings crossing multiple genres. His jazz recordings include Change of Address (2017 on Ropeadope Records) Layers (2016), The New Stablemates (2012 on Arabesque Records), Convergence (released in 2011), and Acoustic Shadow (released in 2009). He other recorded work includes music for theme parks, television commercials, and video games. Sims has performed on three recordings that were awarded four stars in DownBeat Magazine – Blueprint Project featuring Cecil McBee and Matt Wilson, People I Like with Han Bennink, and the Dead Cat Bounce recording Home Speaks to the Wandering. Sims has been an adjudicator and directed All State bands in several states. He has given clinics and master classes at the U.S. Navy International Saxophone Symposium, Cornell University, New Hampshire All State, Emerson College, the U.S. Navy Base in Norfolk, Universidad San Francisco De Quito (Ecuador), Boston Day and Evening Academy, Maine All-State Jazz Festival, and St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia, Canada).

Thomas Wendt

Born: November 26, 1978

Thomas Wendt has been playing the drums professionally since the age of 14. A graduate of The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, he has studied with master drummers Roger Humphries, Joe Harris, and Kenny Washington. Thomas maintains a busy freelancing schedule with Pittsburgh’s top jazz artists such as Dwayne Dolphin, Joe Negri, Sean Jones, David Budway, Kenia, the Latin jazz group, Salsamba, and the newly re-formed Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. He has also played with many visiting international artists like David “Fathead” Newman, Donald Byrd, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Freddy Cole, Monty Alexander, Bill Watrous, Paquito D’Rivera, Curtis Lundy, Wycliffe Gordon, Ann Hampton Calloway and Javon Jackson

Marty Ashby

Born: June 2, 1961

Marty Ashby is a jazz guitarist, GRAMMY®-winning producer, programming consultant, motivational speaker and lifelong advocate of jazz music and its unique place in American culture. In his work as an arts administrator and educator, he remains dedicated to the belief that Jazz celebrates the experience of life. And that if everyone knew how to swing—musicians and non-musicians alike—the world would be a happier, more harmonious place. He is Executive Producer of MCG Jazz, a program of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG), a multi-disciplined center for arts and learning. Since starting MCG Jazz in 1987, he has produced more than 2,000 concerts, 50 recordings on the MCG Jazz label, and raised $25 million