Results for "Pittsburgh"

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

Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2017

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 1, 2017

The complicated logistics and sizable costs associated with free jazz festivals have made them somewhat rarified these days. By its all-encompassing scope and scale, the Detroit Jazz Festival has served as a model for many decades now. But if you want something a bit earthier and intimate, there's really no equal for the atmosphere that envelops ...

Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2017

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 24, 2017

Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2017 Pittsburgh, PA June 16-18, 2017 The complicated logistics and sizable costs associated with free jazz festivals have made them somewhat rarified these days. By its all-encompassing scope and scale, the Detroit Jazz Festival has served as a model for many decades now. But if you want something ...

Pittsburgh Jazz: A Brief History

by Steve Rowland
June 14, 2017

This article was first published at the Explore PA History website. At first glance, Pittsburgh might not seem the most likely place to produce great jazz musicians. Situated on the western edge of the state, “Smoketown" was a gritty industrial city, better known for being the center of the nation's steel industry, than for ...

Remembering Art Farmer

by Lazaro Vega
April 19, 2017

This interview was first published at All About Jazz in November 1999 and is part of our ongoing effort to archive pre-database material. This interview was originally broadcast at the time on Blue Lake Public Radio; portions of this interview appeared in an advance article published by the Grand Rapids Press. Lazaro ...

DK Anderson's Cypher: 8th Window

by Hrayr Attarian
April 11, 2017

Saxophonist DK Anderson showcases his mature style and superb musicianship on his debut 8th Window. Leading his band Cypher, Anderson interprets, with passion and elegance, five of his heady originals and three covers including an intriguing take on rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix's classic “Manic Depression." Anderson opens the latter tune with his fiery honking ...