Pitt Jazz Seminar, Concert Mark 40 Years With Stellar Lineup of Jazz Greats

Winard Harper

Bobby Broom

Internationally renowned jazz greats will convene at the University of Pittsburgh Nov. 2 through Nov. 6 to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert.

The first academic jazz seminar of its kind in the country, Pitt’s Jazz Seminar features international artists connecting with aspiring students in a lecture format, then performing together as an ensemble.

Over the decades, some of the greatest names in American jazz history have participated, including saxophonists Grover Washington Jr. and Sonny Stitt, drummer and bandleader Art Blakey, trumpet master Dizzy Gillespie, and pianist Billy Taylor, among many others.

Musicians who will take part in the 2010 Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert include Randy Brecker, trumpet; George Cables, piano; Leon Lee Dorsey, Pitt assistant professor of jazz studies and coordinator of Pitt’s Jazz Studies Program, bass; Jon Faddis, trumpet; Winard Harper, drums; Javon Jackson, tenor saxophone; Peter King, alto saxophone; Bobby Broom, guitar, and Dave Pike, vibraphone.

During Jazz Week, the musicians conduct free lecture/demonstrations on the Pitt campus, provide miniclinics at area schools, and visit community centers. Two evening lectures on the history and business aspects of jazz also are scheduled; details will be forthcoming. At the end of the week, the musicians will perform in concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 in Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Concert tickets are $18 general admission and $8 for students with a valid ID. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning the week of Oct. 4 by calling ProArtsTickets at 412-394-3353 or visiting www.proartstickets.org. Student tickets only are available at the William Pitt Union box office. Tickets will be on sale the evening of the concert at Carnegie Music Hall for $10 and $20, cash only.

The Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert was founded by Nathan Davis, who serves as its director as well as the director of Pitt’s Jazz Studies Program. Additional details, including the seminar schedule, will be available in coming weeks.