Pitt Presents 44th Annual Jazz Seminar and Concert

The University of Pittsburgh Annual Jazz Seminar and Concert—one of the region’s premier jazz events—will run from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 and feature a free series of lunchtime concerts, lectures/demonstrations, a film screening, and community-outreach activities. It will culminate with a Nov. 1 gala concert at Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Founded in 1971 by Pitt Professor Emeritus of Music Nathan Davis, the Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert was the first academic jazz seminar of its type in the country. It features international artists connecting with aspiring musicians and the general public in a lecture format, along with a number of live performances, including an all-star ensemble concert on Nov. 1. 

Under the direction of internationally renowned pianist, composer, and Pitt Jazz Studies Program director Geri Allen, the following artists are scheduled to participate:

Clifton Anderson, jazz trombonist, who toured with Sonny Rollins for years and is one of the most in-demand session musicians;

Terri Lyne Carrington, drummer, composer, and producer, who earlier this year became the first female artist to win a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for her 2013 album Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue; 

Tia Fuller, jazz alto saxophonist and composer and a member of the all-female band that toured with the Beyoncé Experience World Tour in 2006-07; 

Joe Lovano, master tenor saxophonist and composer, who has recorded or performed with almost every jazz great of the 20th century; 

Esperanza Spalding, innovative bassist, vocalist, and composer, who in 2011 became the first jazz performer ever to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist; and

Afro Blue, Howard University’s premier vocal a cappella jazz ensemble, whose members have won awards from DownBeat magazine and have competed on NBC-TV’s The Sing-Off.

Allen, Carrington, and Spalding have been touring internationally as the ACS Trio.

Gala Concert Ticket Information
The musicians’ diverse playing styles and the unique nature of the show make the Nov. 1 concert a one-of-a-kind performance. Tickets are $25 general admission in advance, $30 general admission at the door, and $10 for students with a valid ID both in advance and at the door. They are available for purchase during regular business hours Monday through Friday at the box office of the William Pitt Union or at music.pitt.edu/tickets.

Brown Bag Lunch Performance
(Free and open to the public)
Tuesday, Oct. 21, Noon
Petersen Events Center lobbyTo set the mood on campus leading up to Jazz Week, live jazz will be performed by members of the student Pitt Jazz Ensemble. The public is invited to bring lunch and listen.

Evening Jazz Film Screening
(Free and open to the public)

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
The Girls in the Band
This feature-length documentary focuses on female musicians from the 1930s to today. The film explores the challenges of racism and sexism in the music business and shows the inspiring spirit of women musicians in pursuing their art and love of music. Geri Allen, director of jazz studies at the University of Pittsburgh, will provide an introduction.

Evening Jazz Presentations
(Free and open to the public)
 

Monday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
Afro American Music Institute 7131 Hamilton Ave., Homewood
Symposium Think Tank: Future ofJazz Performance and Jazz Education
This event is the first in a series of academic jazz forums hosted by the University of Pittsburgh and the Afro American Music Institute. James Johnson, the institute’s executive director, will moderate a panel discussion comprising the following participants: Joe Jennings, artist emeritus, Spelman College, and president, Sip-Jen Music, Inc.; Ralph Jones, senior lecturer and musical director, Spelman College Jazz Ensemble; Ernest Lampkins, educator, musician, and community leader; and Alphonso Sanders, chair of the Department of Fine Arts, Mississippi Valley State University. 

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
“Musicians’ Local 471 Anthology”
Harry D. Clark, president of the African American Jazz Preservation Society of Pittsburgh, presents the legacy of Pittsburgh’s Black musicians’ union. 

Thursday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
Bellefield Hall Auditorium
Music Business Lecture and Q&A Session
Speakers are Guy Eckstine, president, Iconique Music Group; and Ed Eckstine, founder and CEO, Debris Entertainment.

Morning/Afternoon Jazz Presentations
(Free and open to the public)

Tuesday, Oct. 28, Noon
O’Hara Student Center Ballroom
Pitt Jazz Ensemble Performance
Walt Maddox, an original member of The Marcels, will take the stage with the Pitt Jazz Ensemble, performing iconic hits from such Pittsburgh greats as Erroll Garner and Billy Eckstine. 

Thursday, Oct. 30, Noon
Terri Lyne Carrington’s Online Master Class
Master drummer and Berklee College of Music Professor Terri Lyne Carrington will work with students simultaneously at the University of Pittsburgh’s William Russell Robinson Recording Studio and at Berklee in Boston, Mass. This Internet2 demonstration will allow students at two sites to play together in real time. To view the master class, visit www.music.pitt.edu/jazz-sem.

Thursday, Oct. 30, 3 p.m.
O’Hara Student Center DiningRoom
Style Analysis and History of Selected Vocalists
Connaitre Miller, director of Afro Blue, will lead a multimedia presentation featuring the history and style of selected jazz vocalists. 

Friday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m.
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
History of Women in Jazz: Female Jazz Instrumentalists from the Early1900s to Present
A talk presented by altosaxophonist Tia Fuller.

Friday, Oct. 31, Noon
Nordy’s Place, lower level of William Pitt Union
Vocal Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal Techniques
This session will be led by the Afro Blue choir and includes lunch for Pitt students provided by PITT ARTS.

Community Outreach Appearances
(Only Hill House event is free and open to the public)
In an ongoing effort to create meaningful initiatives for students of all ages, the following community appearances have been arranged.

Friday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. 
Falk Laboratory School
Master Jazz Saxophonist
Joe Lovano, saxophone 

Friday, Oct. 31, 1:15 p.m.
Pittsburgh CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) 6-12
111 Ninth St., Downtown
The Importance of the Solo Jazz Vocalist in the Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Under the direction of Connaitre Miller, Afro Blue extends the rich vocal tradition of the historically Black colleges and universities in the United States.

Saturday, Nov. 1, Noon
Hill House Association Senior Community Services Center
2038 Bedford Ave., Hill District
Basics of Bass
Esperanza Spalding, bass 

Saturday, Nov. 1, Noon
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System-Heinz Division
1010 Delafield Rd., O’Hara Township
J.J. Johnson and the Evolution of the Modern Jazz Trombone
Clifton Anderson, trombonist