Theron Brown, City Theatre and the Pittsburgh / Detroit Jazz Connection in the MCG Jazz Spotlight

Theron Brown, City Theatre and the Pittsburgh / Detroit Jazz Connection in the MCG Jazz Spotlight

Marty Ashby and composer/pianist Theron Brown talk about the upcoming concert March 2nd at MCG Jazz, leading to the Pittsburgh premiere of the jazz-inspired play Paradise Blue at City Theatre, plus the Detroit Pittsburgh Jazz Connection.

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

Reggie Watkins, the Humphries Brothers, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Crawford, Maxine Sullivan, and Chu Berry, Roy Eldridge and a Wheeling / Pittsburgh Jazz Connection, too

Reggie Watkins, the Humphries Brothers, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Crawford, Maxine Sullivan, and  Chu Berry, Roy Eldridge and a Wheeling / Pittsburgh Jazz Connection, too

Reggie Watkins, the Humphries Brothers, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Crawford, Maxine Sullivan, and Chu Berry, Roy Eldridge and a Wheeling / Pittsburgh Jazz Connection, too.

As we near the end of February and Black History Month, the history of jazz in the Pittsburgh Region looms large as an important part of the history to know and learn from.

Reggie Watkins shares stories about Wheeling’s Chu Berry (who spent a lot of time with Pittsburgh’s Roy Eldridge). Also music from uncles of drumming great Roger Humphries - trumpeter Frank and saxophonist Hildred Humphries (who ALSO spent a lot of time with Roy Eldridge!)

And music from a Pittsburgh vocalist who had a huge hit with a Scottish tune in swing style in 1937 - Maxine Sullivan, and revolutionary sounds from the early 1950’s from pianist Ahmad Jamal.

Pittsburgh Jazz history and black music history - entwine in the rich tapestry of a music we call jazz.

Thursday night at 6, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday afternoon at 5 on WZUM.

Dr Harry Clark on the MCG Jazz Spotlight Hour

Dr Harry Clark on the MCG Jazz Spotlight Hour

Dr. Harry Clark, the founder and first Principal at Pittsburgh’s High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) is our special guest host for a program first first broadcast in February 2019.

Since then, Dr. Clark has received more accolades, including being cited as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2019, and the BNY Mellon JazzLive Legacy Award for 2021. Among his musical picks for the show, Pittsburgh natives Erroll Garner and Ray Brown, plus sounds from the founder of the Jazz Studies program at Pitt, Dr. Nathan Davis.

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

Paul Desmond in the MCG Jazz Spotlight

Paul Desmond in the MCG Jazz Spotlight

This week on the MCG Jazz Spotlight show, Marty Ashby shines light on Paul Desmond’s music and career.

Included in the show are excerpts from a 1976 interview with Paul Desmond. Great collaborations with Don Sebesky, Jim Hall and Ed Bickert. Also, the 1950 Dave Brubeck Octet - and the last performance by the Brubeck, recorded in Pittsburgh.

The MCG Jazz Spotlight show - Friday and Sunday at 6pm and Saturday at 1pm on The Pittsburgh Jazz Channel WZUM.