Michael Mayo, Endea Owens and Helen Sung in the MCG Jazz Spotlight

Concerts in February at MCG Jazz

The MCG Jazz Spotlight on WZUM - Friday and Sunday nights at 6, and Saturday afternoon at 1.

This weekend holds a big gala to celebrate and sustain Con Alma, the Pittsburgh Jazz Club - Sunday with an Orrin Evans led gala, February 1st from 5-9pm.

We revisit the history of Con Alma - starting as a dream by Josh Ross, Aimee Marshall and John Shannon with the small, beloved venue on Ellsworth Avenue, through COViD challenges, adding a location in downtown Pittsburgh and nearly 7 years of operation to the turning point of the story, now.

Music and conversation about the modern-day Pittsburgh jazz Mecca, Con Alma.

The Scene - Thursday at 6, Sunday at 5, Friday and Saturday at noon.

Kate Borger shares sounds from various headlining artists sharing the spotlight, together.

Friday morning at 10:00 and Saturday a 11 on WZUM

Marty Ashby is joined by drummer and jazz historian Thomas Wendt for a look at one of the most remarkable ensembles of the 1950s: Dizzy Gillespie’s State Department Big Band.

The MCG Jazz Spotlight on WZUM - Friday and Sunday nights at 6, and Saturday afternoon at 1.

Kate Borger Plays Music She Loves on Rhythm-a-Ning

Sounds crossing many decades throughout the hour - Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Julie London, Mark Murphy, Samara Joy, and Pittsburgh’s Tony Campbell with vocalist Fred Pugh.

Join Kate Borger - Friday morning at 10, Saturday morning at 11, on WZUM.

An Emphasis on warmth and Jazz - and improvising through adversity. Plus, we celebrate the spread of jazz on the radio - including internationally with hosts like Willis Conover of Voice of America.

Music and stories and screens on the Scene - Thursday at 6, Sunday at 5, Friday and Saturday at noon.

"This is Triumphant Music" - Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Inaugural JazzFest Berlin, 1964.

Dr. King’s Essay on the importance of Jazz to humanity and the Civil Rights movement was not a speech, but it was written at the request of the festival organizers. The words are powerful .

An excerpt:

Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.

And now, Jazz is exported to the world.

Host Marty Ashby visits with Chris and Dan Brubeck, who performed and recorded with their father since the 1970s.

Chris and Dan Brubeck expand upon the compelling stories of their father, Dave, as well as their mother Iola that were shared during their concert at MCG Jazz in early 2022.

The MCGJazz Spotlight on WZUM - Friday and Sunday nights at 6, and Saturday afternoon at 1.