Halloween week on the MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, and host Marty Ashby explores the darker, more imaginative corners of jazz — where pulse meets mystery and creativity finds its shadow.
The set opens with Rene Marie, who summons the soul of Eartha Kitt on "I’d Rather Be Burned as a Witch" — part reverence, part tribute, and entirely her own spell. Pianist Christian Sands follows, and the hour comes alive with "Frankenstein", a dazzling study in form and fire.
The mood deepens through Jackie McLean’s "Demon’s Dance" — taut, angular, and charged with the kind of restless energy that rises when the veil between worlds — and styles — grows thin. Grant Green’s "Dracula" keeps the tension simmering, while Sarah Vaughan’s "Witchcraft" restores poise and elegance with her unmistakable grace.
Steel City sons Sonny Clark ("Voodoo") and Art Blakey ("The Witch Doctor") remind us that Pittsburgh’s spirit still pulses through the heart of jazz. In a true musical trick and treat, guitarist Charlie Hunter works his eight-string magic on "Return of the Candyman", while MCG Jazz favorite Stefon Harris brings the ear candy on vibraphone, turning shadow into light.
The evening closes in nostalgia with Vince Guaraldi’s "Great Pumpkin Waltz" and a gentle reprise of the Charlie Brown Theme — two timeless moments that capture the warmth and wonder of the season..
Friday and Sunday night at 6, Saturday afternoon at 1 on WZUM
