​Ray and her band – Tom Appleman on bass, Amy Bellamy on keyboards, Mike Casano on drums and Scott Tarulli on guitar – will feature music from her upcoming self-titled album as well as some of their favorite neo-soul and jazzy covers.
 
Ray has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, including Newport and Monterey Jazz festivals, Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and others. Her versatility from neo-soul/R&B to jazz, pop, classical/opera and rock is unmatched.
 
Trained at the Handel and Haydn Society Vocal Apprenticeship Program and the New England Conservatory Prep School, Debo earned her stripes in opera voice. A graduate in vocal performance and classical composition from Berklee College of Music, she mastered vocal prowess and versatility that allows her to sing in any style. A spirited and cooperative collaborator, she has worked with multiple Grammy award winners, including Bobby McFerrin, Esperanza Spalding, Antonio Sanchez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Screaming Headless Torsos, Women of The World.
​
A composer at heart, Debo is known for the unique way she embraces and expresses the music she creates, as well as her style of blending theory with emotion in her performances. Spanning genres from pop and R&B to rock fusion, her mission is clear: to instill joy in music without sacrificing skill through an immersive experience. Her relatable yet universal sound creates a connection with listeners, encouraging them to embrace their uniqueness and find joy in the rich fabric of her musical expression.
 
For tickets to Debo Ray at Scullers, go to https://www/ticketweb.com/search?q=debo+ray+scullers. See more about Debo Ray’s musical journey at https://www.iamdeboray.com.
 
To learn more about Sun-Music productions and Sun-Music Live radio, go to https://www.sun-music.net
 

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Media Contact: Carolyn McClair Public Relations
(212) 721-3341 | Info@CarolynMcClairPR.com
​

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Media Contact: Carolyn McClair Public Relations
(212) 721-3341 | Info@CarolynMcClairPR.com

​NEWARK, NJ, November 8, 2024 - New Orleans and Newark are nearly 1300 miles apart, but that distance disappears when New Orleans’ native son, pianist, composer and bandleader Davell Crawford and his quartet return to the TD James Moody Jazz Festival to perform “Davell Crawford: a Musical Journey from New Orleans to Newark at Newark Symphony Hall, 1020 Broad Street on November 16, 2024, at 1:00 pm. The concert is presented by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) and the WBGO Children’s Concert Series.
 

Crawford, who performed with Gladys Knight at the festival last year, unveils his Crescent City pianism – a great gumbo of gospel, jazz, blues, R&B and Caribbean influences – and musically narrates a scintillating and syncopated tale of two cities, featuring the music of New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong, Professor Longhair, Jon Batiste, and Newark’s James Moody, Sarah Vaughan and Whitney Houston.
 
Also known as the “Piano Prince of New Orleans,” Crawford was born in 1975 with The Big Easy in his blood. “I tell people that my mom had triplets,” Crawford told WBGO’s Sheila Anderson on the Salon Sessions podcast. “She had me, a little grand piano and a microphone.” He alternately grew up in New Orleans, Lafayette and Western Louisiana. His godmother is the legendary soul diva Roberta Flack, and he is the grandson of R&B pianist James “Sugar Boy” Crawford. His primary influences were Patsy Cline and Sarah Vaughan, along with the great New Orleans pianists Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, and James Booker. Crawford started playing piano at the age of 7, played the organ at St. Joseph Baptist Church, where he was the choir director at the age of 11, and toured Europe as a teenager. He attended the famed New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), where the Marsalis brothers, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison and Trombone Shorty also matriculated, and was mentored by vibes master, Lionel Hampton.
 
Crawford has worked with Nicholas Payton, Kermit Ruffins, Delfeayo Marsalis, Irma Thomas, Dr. John and many other musicians. Crawford’s albums as a leader include, Let Them Talk, The B-3 and Me, Love Like Yours and Mine, My Gift to You, Abide with Me: Hymns, Piano in the Vaults, Vol. 1, Spirituals and Solos and his 2024 releases, Alone Together: The Music of Roberta Flack for Solo Piano and Gentle Soul: The Music of Aretha Franklin for Solo Piano.
 
Hailed by Blues Access magazine as “…one of the most talented musicians alive,” Crawford is an all-encompassing artist, who understands that innovation comes from a deep knowledge of tradition. “I have a responsibility to preserve the music,” Crawford tells Steinway & Sons, “to carry it forth and to breathe new life into the music, when it’s appropriate to do that.”
 
ABOUT WBGO CHILDREN’S CONCERT SERIES/NEWARK PUBLIC RADIO
The WBGO Children’s Concert Series brings world-renowned jazz musicians to concert halls and venues throughout New York and New Jersey. These free concerts give young listeners the chance to discover the enjoyment of jazz, improvisation and musical collaboration. WBGO-FM/Newark Public Radio is a non-profit, publicly funded arts and cultural institution, dedicated to the curation, presentation, and preservation of music created out of the African American experience. The station is committed to providing its world-wide jazz community with independently produced music programming and journalism for the purpose of public enrichment, entertainment, and insight. https://www.wbgo.org
 
ABOUT THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG EDUCATION FOUNDATION (LAEF)
The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) was founded and funded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969 to give back to the world “some of the goodness he received.” The mission of the organization is to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of Louis Armstrong by fostering programs, lectures, and other educational events to assist those interested, gifted and talented in the field of music, primarily jazz. Today the Foundation is a major source of funding for programs to expose and educate adults and children in the history of American jazz and has provided solid financial support to institutions across the nation. In October 2021 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of LAEF, Verve Records, in conjunction with LAEF, released A Gift to Pops, a CD by The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All-Stars with special guests Wynton Marsalis and Common.  https://louisarmstrongfoundation.org
 
ABOUT THE TD JAMES MOODY FESTIVAL/NJPAC
Named for Newark’s great saxophonist/flutist James Moody, The TD James Moody Jazz Festival presents dozens of free and ticketed events, including Dorthaan’s Place, Jazz Vespers and the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. NJPAC is a nonprofit arts organization that is the cultural institution for the city of Newark that presents audiences with world-class performances, and nurtures students through a comprehensive arts education, and engages the community with free cultural events across the city.  https://www.njpac.org/
https://www.njpac.org/series/james-moody-jazz-festival/
 
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Media Contact: Carolyn McClair PR
(212) 721-3341 | https://carolynmcclairpr.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​NEW YORK, NY, October 24, 2024 – Today on what would have been his 95th birthday, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) pays tribute to long-time board member Dan Morgenstern, who passed away September 7. He was celebrated as a jazz writer uniquely embraced by musicians, using unpretentious prose and a vast knowledge of jazz history to capture the essence of their music.

“Dan Morgenstern was a dear friend and colleague. A member of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation family, he was a friend of Louis Armstrong and an authority on the jazz great,” said Wynton Marsalis, Chairman of the Board of LAEF, world-renowned trumpeter and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. “Dan was a highly regarded jazz journalist, teacher, historian, a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, a multi-Grammy Award winner and a true fan.”
About Dan Morgenstern
Throughout his career, Morgenstern wrote thousands of articles for various publications, served as the last editor-in-chief of Metronome magazine, and became the first editor of Jazz magazine. He reviewed live jazz for The New York Post and albums for The Chicago Sun-Times, and while at DownBeat, he published 148 record reviews and served as chief editor from 1967 to 1973.
Morgenstern’s contributions to jazz writing were widely recognized. He won eight Grammy Awards for his liner notes and was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2007. He also received three Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in music writing, two for his books Jazz People (1976) and Living with Jazz (2004). He played a key role in more than a dozen jazz documentaries and, from 1976 to 2011, served as the director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark, where he helped build the world's largest repository of jazz documents, recordings, and memorabilia.
Morgenstern was born in Munich on October 24, 1929, to Soma Morgenstern, a novelist and journalist, and Ingeborg von Klenau, the daughter of a Danish composer. Growing up in Vienna, his early years were marked by the horrors of the Holocaust. His father escaped Austria after the Anschluss, while Morgenstern and his mother fled to Denmark. When the Nazis reached Copenhagen, they were smuggled to Sweden by the Danish resistance, remaining there until the war ended.
After the war, Morgenstern reunited with his father in New York City in 1947, where he began his career at Time-Life and then as a copy boy at The New York Times. Drafted in 1951, he returned to Munich for his tour of duty, and upon his discharge, he attended Brandeis University on the G.I. Bill. He became deeply involved in the Boston jazz scene and started writing about jazz, eventually finding work at The New York Post, where he covered jazz festivals and befriended many legendary musicians, including tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.
Morgenstern’s deep love for jazz and his genuine connection with its musicians made him a trusted figure in the jazz community. His European background helped him earn the trust of African American musicians during a time when racial tensions were high. He became known as an eyewitness to jazz history, attending jam sessions, recording sessions, and gatherings that were usually off-limits to non-musicians.
He married Elsa Schochet in 1974, and they had two sons, Adam Oran and Joshua Louis. Even after retiring as director of the Institute of Jazz Studies in 2011, Morgenstern continued to write about, listen to, and learn about jazz. In 2024, at his final public appearance at the Jazz Gallery Honors Gala, he received a lifetime achievement award.
Throughout his life, Morgenstern remained devoted to jazz, describing his role more as an advocate for the music than as a critic. He believed his success came from learning about the music directly from the people who created it, rather than from books. "I’ve had a long life," he once said, "and I’ve been able to make a living and a life out of involvement with something that I really loved, and still do."

LAEF misses Dan’s sage advice, countless memories and warm spirit. We offer our condolences to his son Josh and family. May he rest in joy and peace.
 

 

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​PITTSBURGH, PA, September 12, 2024 – Fifteen years ago, on September 17, 2009, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture opened its doors to the public, embarking on a journey filled with amazing arts experiences and cultural milestones.
 
Throughout the last 15 years, we have celebrated many successes and successfully navigated periods of uncertainty. In 2017, a new cultural organization sparked a renaissance, transforming the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) into one of the largest, multi-disciplinary Black performing arts centers in the country.

We are proud of what we have built upon the foundation that others established. Our mission remains steadfast: to become a premier performing arts center, a home for arts, storytelling, and the exchange of ideas rooted in the African American experience and the African Diaspora. We welcome all to learn, recognize, and uplift the Black experience in artful and impactful ways.
 
Highlights over the past 15 years include the US premiere of the Flying Girls sculpture by Nigerian artist Peju Alatise, the Black Bottom Film Festival, the virtual salon series Lit Fridays and the culinary series, A Seat at Our Table.
 
Now, it is time to celebrate once more as we look forward to the next 15 years while honoring the past, celebrating the present, and envisioning the future of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center – a place where art and culture are created, presented, and ignite the imaginations of future generations. 
 
Janis Burley
CEO/President
August Wilson African Cultural Center
 
ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org.
 
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​Media Contact: Carolyn McClair
(212) 721-3341 | Cmcclair@awaacc.org

​PITTSBURGH, PA, September 13, 2024 – Jazz Crawl is Back at the 2024 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center has added Jazz Around Town to give music lovers multiple options to support live music.  Special thanks to sponsors Carnegie Libraries, the Pittsburgh International Airport and the City of Pittsburgh for supporting regional artists.  Check out every style from hip hop by Talib Kweli at City Winery to classic jazz piano with Frank Cunimundo at the elegant Fort Pitt Piano Salon in the Strip to jazz in neighborhood libraries and at the baggage claim at the JazzPort (airport).

For more information, see the list below or visit: https://pittsburghjazzfest.org/lineup/jazz-crawl/.
 
AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER (AWAACC)
980 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15222
Thursday, 9/19
THE INTERMISSION
WINSTON BELL
6:00 – 9:00 PM
 
BURN by ROCKY PATEL PITTSBURGH
346 North Shore Drive
Pittsburgh, PA  15212
(412) 586-5854
Friday, 9/20
LIVE MUSIC
 
Saturday, 9/21
LIVE MUSIC
 
CIOPPINO RESTAURANT AND CIGAR BAR
2350 Railroad St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 281-6593
Saturday, 9/21
ERIC DEFADE
7:00 – 10:00 PM
 
CITY WINERY
1627 Smallman St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 246-1000
 
Tuesday, 9/17
TALIB KWELI
7:30 PM
Get tickets
 
Thursday, 9/19
JARROD LAWSON
7:00 PM
Get tickets
 
CON ALMA
613 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 932-2387
Thursday, 9/19  
DWAYNE DOLPHIN FO’TET
6:00 – 9:00 PM 
 
Friday, 9/20
BOBBY SELVAGIO QUARTET
5:30 – 8:30 PM
 
REGGIE WATKINS
9:00PM – until
 
Saturday, 9/21
JASON KUSH QUARTET
5:30 – 8:30 PM
PAUL THOMPSON’S WAYNETET (Tribute to Wayne Shorter)
9:00 PM – until
 
Sunday, 9/21
DAVID THROCKMORTON QUARTET featuring JOHN SHANNON
5:00 PM – until
 
EDDIE V’S
Elegant fine-dining chain with a seafood & steak menu, plus a cocktail lounge featuring live jazz
Union Trust Building
501 Grant St #100
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Friday, 9/20
KENNY STOCKARD
6:30 – 10:30 PM
FORT PITT PIANO COMPANY
2358 Railroad Street
Pittsburgh, PA  15222
Friday, 9/20
FRANK CUNIMUNDO
5:00 – 7:00 PM
 
KINGFLY SPIRITS
2613 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA  15222
(412) 392-8928
Thursday, 9/19
ROGER HUMPHRIES
7:00 – 10:00 PM
 
Saturday, 9/21
DRAG BRUNCH
12:30 – 3:00 PM
 
JAZZPORT @ THE PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In partnership with Pittsburgh International Airport, AWAACC launched the carefully crafted “JAZZPORT” series, which highlights a handful of Pittsburgh’s most promising artists. Visit https://flypittsburgh.com/events/ for more information.
 
Monday, 9/16
WINSTON BELL
3:00 – 5:00 PM
 
Wednesday, 9/18
ANYAH NANCY
10:00 AM – NOON
 
Thursday, 9/19
BYRON NASH
3:00 – 5:00 PM
 
JAZZ @ THE LIBRARY
 
CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF HOMEWOOD
7101 Homewood Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15208
Tuesday, 9/3
YOKO SUZUKI
6:00 PM
 
CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF BROOKLINE
708 Brookline Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA  15226
Thursday, 9/5
DENNIS GARNER
5:30 PM
 
CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH, LAMP
4724 Baum Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA  15213
Friday, 9/6
GEORGE HEID III
11:00 AM
 
CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH, WOODS RUN
1201 Woods Run Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15212
Wednesday, 9/11
ANYAH NANCY
6:00 PM
 
The 2024 PIJF also features Robert Glasper, Shemekia Copeland, Maysa, Average White Band Farewell Tour, Sean Jones, Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band, Emmet Cohen Trio, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Cimafunk, Luedji Luna, Dan Wilson, Selecta, Vanisha Gould, Howie Alexander, Chris Coles, Reagan Gray & Black Vitaminz and the popular Taste of Jazz Party.
 
For more information and tickets for concerts at AWAACC and VIP packages for the free concerts, please log on to  https://pittsburghjazzfest.org.
 
SPONSORS
The 2024 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, with generous support from the Mellon Foundation. 
 
Additional sponsors include The Wilson Group, UPMC, UPMC Health Plan, Rivers Casino, Visit Pittsburgh, Xfinity, Ya Momz House, P&W BMW and Mini of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Allegheny County Airport Authority, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Green Mountain Energy, NRG Energy, T-Mobile, Fort Pitt Piano Company, Hollowood Music and Sound, and Duquesne University.
 
The engagement of Luedji Luna is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Global Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Instituto Guimarães Rosa.
 
The Libation Area is proudly presented by Bacardi, with Arsenal Cider House as special libation partner.
 
The Game Zone is generously sponsored by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
 
Special thanks to media sponsor, Comcast NBCUniversal, and media partners JazzCorner, WZUM, DownBeat, Code M Magazine and City Paper.
 
ABOUT HIGHMARK INC.
An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc., together with its Blue-branded affiliates, collectively comprise the fifth largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country with approximately 7 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and western and northeastern New York. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com. 
 
The Highmark Bright Blue Futures program is designed to ensure healthier, brighter, stronger futures for all, and it focuses on improving equitable access to care, quality of life, and economic resilience in the communities the enterprise serves. For more information, visit Highmark Bright Blue Futures.
 
ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org.
 

​Known as “The Songstress” for her fluid and formidable operatic voice that is at home in any musical genre, Ambrosius has been at the top of the neo-soul game since 1997, as a founding member of the duo, Floetry, as a writer/producer who worked for everyone from Alicia Keys to Michael Jackson, and as a solo artist, who just released her latest album, Casablanco: a grand, 11-track soulful synthesis of quiet storm, soul, hip-hop and jazz. Along with producer Dr. Dre, and a 27-piece orchestra, Ambrosius’ epic recording includes samples and melodic references from an eclectic potpourri of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Duke Ellington, Nas, The Wu-Tang Clan and The Mary Jane Girls.
 
“Supporting the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival means supporting growth and tourism for our City of Pittsburgh.  We believe in the mission of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and look forward to building a strong relationship with our great jazz fest,” says Derrick Wilson, CEO/Founder of The Wilson Group, one of the leading providers in the workflow solutions industry in the nation.  
 
Ambrosius’ musical eclecticism was nurtured in her hometown of Liverpool, England. She and Natalie Stewart aka The Floacist, who shared with Ambrosius a love for music, poetry and basketball, both attended BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology as well as Stewart Performing Arts, Media and Art. Ambrosius kept in touch with Stewart when she went to college, and they formed Floetry in 1997. The duo moved to Atlanta and Philadelphia three years later, released several hit singles including, “Floetic,” “Say Yes” and “Getting Late;” recorded three albums: Floetic, Flo’Ology and Floacism Live. They opened for Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Queen Latifah and composed for Scott, Jazz of Dru Hill and Bilal. Ambrosius individually penned songs for Glenn Lewis and Michael Jackson’s 2002 single, “Butterflies.”
 
Ambrosius broke off from Floetry in 2007 and became a solo artist. She released a mixtape, Neo Soul Is Dead and formed her own production company. Ambrosius has worked with Keys, Wale, Jamie Foxx, Slum Village and The Roots. Her recordings as a leader include Late Nights & Early Mornings, Friends & Lovers and Nyla. Her biggest single as a solo artist is the beautiful ballad, “Far Away.” Along with her nine Grammy nominations, Ambrosius won the Centric Awards at the 2011 BET Awards and was nominated for best Female R&B Artist the next year. “Far Away” was chosen as Record of The Year at the 2011 Soul Train Awards.
 
With her new Silver Screen-themed album Casablanco, Ambrosius will put on a jazzy show that crosses genres from bebop to hip-hop.
 
For more information and tickets for concerts at AWAACC and VIP packages for the free concerts, please log on to  https://pittsburghjazzfest.org.
 
The 2024 PIJF also features Robert Glasper, Shemekia Copeland, Maysa, Average White Band Farewell Tour, Sean Jones, Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band, Emmet Cohen Trio, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Cimafunk, Luedji Luna, Dan Wilson, Selecta, Vanisha Gould, Howie Alexander, Chris Coles, Reagan Gray & Black Vitaminz and the popular Taste of Jazz Party.
 
SPONSORS
The 2024 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, with generous support from the Mellon Foundation. Additional sponsors include The Wilson Group, UPMC, UPMC Health Plan, The Wilson Group, P&W BMW and Mini of Pittsburgh, Rivers Casino, VisitPittsburgh, Xfinity, Allegheny County Airport Authority, Carnegie Mellon University, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, NRG Energy, Green Mountain Energy, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, T-Mobile, and Duquesne University.
 
The engagement of Luedji Luna is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Global Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Instituto Guimarães Rosa.
 
The Libation Area is proudly presented by Bacardi, with Arsenal Cider House as the special libation partner.
 
Special thanks to media sponsor, Comcast NBC Universal, and media partners: JazzCorner, WZUM, Downbeat, and Code M Magazine.
 
ABOUT HIGHMARK INC.
An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc., together with its Blue-branded affiliates, collectively comprise the fifth largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country with approximately 7 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and western and northeastern New York. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com. 
 
The Highmark Bright Blue Futures program is designed to ensure healthier, brighter, stronger futures for all, and it focuses on improving equitable access to care, quality of life, and economic resilience in the communities the enterprise serves. For more information, visit Highmark Bright Blue Futures.
 
ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org.
 

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​Media Contact: Carolyn McClair
(212) 721-3341 | Cmcclair@awaacc.org
 

​PITTSBURGH, PA, August 27, 2024 – Get your tickets for vocalist Maysa, prepare your palate, put on your dancing shoes and head to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), 980 Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, for the annual Taste of Jazz Party (TOJ), an evening of music, dancing, food and beverage tastings on Friday, September 20, starting at 8:00 pm with Maysa in concert in the AWAACC main theater followed by TOJ from 9:00 pm – Midnight.

​Tickets, available at pittsburghjazzfest.org, are $80.00 - $90.00 for Maysa and Taste of Jazz and $70.00 for Taste of Jazz tickets only.
 
Stroll through the halls of AWAACC where 19 area restaurants will dish up succulent samples from their menus. Let your tastebuds rule the night and visit food stations hosted by:

• Alihan's Mediterranean Cuisine: Baba Ganoush (vegetarian), Turkish Bread, Baklava
• Barcelona Wine Bar: Vegetable Paella
• Bar Marco: Chef Papagiorgio Meatballs
• Bistro to Go: 3 varieties of Crostinis
• Braddock's Rebellion:  Crawfish Monica (pasta in a rich buttery sauce with Crawfish tails)
• Cafe Momentum: Strawberry Short Chef (Cream Cheese Shortbread Cookie)
• The Capital Grille: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Eddie Merlot's: Burger Sliders, Pistachio Cheesecake
• Fogo de Chão Steakhouse: Vegan Anti-pasti Platters, Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
• Morton's The Steakhouse: Espresso Chocolate Pot de Crème
• NOSH & CURD: Grazing Table
• The Rebel Room at The Industrialist Hotel: Butternut & Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese
• The Ritual House: Shrimp Dumpling, Rocher Me Away
• Sarris Candies: Pretzels, Milk Bars, Gardner’s Peanut Butter Meltaways
• Sullivan's Steakhouse: Cheesesteak Rolls
• Talia: Polenta with Pork Sugo and Ricotta
• Taj Mahal Restaurant: Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Pakora, Chana Masala, Jeera Rice
• Vallozzi’s: Charcuterie Cups
• Yuzu Kitchen: Edamame w/Nori Salt and Dipping Sauce

 
The restaurant roster is curated by Ronda Zegarelli of Acrobatique Creative. Media sponsor for Taste of Jazz is Table Magazine.
 
While delving into the delectable delights, check out the music by turntablist Selecta, drummer Thomas Wendt and his Quintet, vocalist Reagan Gray & Black Vitaminz and AWAACC B.U.I.L.D. Artists-in Residence pianist Howie Alexander and DJ Big Phill.
 
The Grammy-nominated, Baltimore-born mezzo-soprano Maysa Leak returns to Pittsburgh after her 2022 appearance at the PIJF, to open the 2014 edition of the festival, at the AWAACC, leading into the much anticipated Taste of Jazz Party (9:00 pm -12:00 am). Maysa was the major voice in the British, acid-jazz ensemble, Incognito, as evidenced by her velvet vocals on Incognito’s ingenious cover of “Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing,” (she sang background vocals for Stevie Wonder) and the soulful ballad, “Deep Waters,” which became an anthem for her. A solo artist since 1995, Maysa has reigned supreme as one of this era’s most dynamic divas. Her 14th and 15th recordings, Music for Your Soul, a 19-track, double-album released in 2023, and the 2024 Remix for Your Soul, both abound with the soulful, state-of-the-art dance grooves and quiet storm ballads we’ve come to expect from her. When Maysa returns to the PIJF, she’ll do so1 to the sounds of clapping hands and dancing feet.
 
Keyboardist and educator Howie Alexander, a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School and Duquesne University, counts jazz guitarist Jimmy Ponder and Dr. James Johnson, Jr. of the Afro-American Music Institute (where Alexander taught piano, and serves as Artistic Director) as seminal influences. Alexander also worked with drummer Poogie Bell, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and with Pittsburgh tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Alexander composed a silent film suite for the 1920 Oscar Micheaux motion picture Within Our Gates at the 2023 Black Bottom Film Festival. Alexander returns to the festival, playing grooves, notes and tones that would make Ahmad Jamal smile. Alexander is also a 2024 AWAACC B.U.I.L.D. Artist-in-Residence. His residency is made possible by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
 
Pittsburgh legends Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke and Roger Humphries set a mighty high bar for modern jazz drummers. Thomas Wendt stands poised to meet that bar.  A drummer since the age of 14, and a graduate of The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Wendt studied with Humphries, Joe Harris and Kenny Washington. He’s worked with a diverse range of local and international musicians including Joe Negri, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Sean Jones, Hubert Laws, Dwayne Dolphin, Donald Byrd and Paquito D’ Rivera. Wendt currently serves on the faculty at the Afro-American Institute in Homewood and is an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Percussion at Duquesne University. Give the drummer some, when you see Wendt performing at the Taste of Jazz.
 
In 1988, a 15 year-old kid named James Scoglietti started DJing on the Pittsburgh radio station WPTS. Now known as Selecta, he’s one of the country’s premier turntablists.  Named “Best Hip-Hop Radio Personality” in 1998 by In-Pittsburgh News Weekly, Selecta has worked with The Roots, De La Soul, KRS-One and many other hip-hop stars. He currently hosts Grand Groove, a weekly funk & soul-based radio program broadcasting from Pittsburgh’s NPR-affiliate, WYEP, every Friday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Currently, he is a fixture on Twitch as Selecta720 with close to 20K followers. Put on your dancing shoes when Selecta spins at the Taste of Jazz.
 
Chosen as the Best Club DJ 2023 by the Pittsburgh City Paper, DJ Big Phill (Phillip Thompson) is arguably one of the most ubiquitous turntablists in the city. His patented mix of R&B, funk and hip-hop, has heads bobbing from Lawrenceville to Homewood. Hailing from Penn Hills, Phill grew up near local DJ legends Supa C and Assassin, was mixing Al Green records, and started DJing on a regular basis at college. Phill is heading an aggregation called The Union: an assemblage of Pittsburgh’s finest DJs, which includes Selecta. Phill has performed at the Three Rivers Festival, a sold-out Penguins hockey game and at the PIJF. Phill won the Man of Excellence Award from the Pittsburgh New Courier and was included in Pittsburgh’s 50 Years of Hip-Hop Celebration. Also don’t miss his first gallery exhibit, Collections in Black: A Celebration of Black Comic Book Culture, at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, July 26, 2024 - January 12, 2025.  Also, a 2024 AWAACC B.U.I.L.D. Artist-in-Residence, made possible by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, DJ Big Phill will keep the crowd moving at the Taste Of Jazz party.
 
For more information on the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival log on to https://pittsburghjazzfest.org.
 
The 2024 PIJF also features Robert Glasper, Marsha Ambrosius, Shemekia Copeland, Maysa, Average White Band Farewell Tour, Sean Jones, Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band, Emmet Cohen Trio, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Cimafunk, Luedji Luna, Dan Wilson, Selecta, Vanisha Gould, Howie Alexander, Chris Coles, Reagan Gray & Black Vitaminz and the popular Taste of Jazz Party.
 
SPONSORS
The 2024 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, with generous support from the Mellon Foundation. Additional sponsors include The Wilson Group, UPMC, UPMC Health Plan, The Wilson Group, P&W BMW and Mini of Pittsburgh, Rivers Casino, VisitPittsburgh, Xfinity, Allegheny County Airport Authority, Carnegie Mellon University, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, NRG Energy, Green Mountain Energy, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, T-Mobile, and Duquesne University.
 
The engagement of Luedji Luna is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Global Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Instituto Guimarães Rosa.
 
The Libation Area is proudly presented by Bacardi, with Arsenal Cider House as the special libation partner.
 
Special thanks to media sponsor, Comcast NBC Universal, and media partners: JazzCorner, WZUM, Downbeat, and Code M Magazine.
 
ABOUT HIGHMARK INC.
An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc., together with its Blue-branded affiliates, collectively comprise the fifth largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country with approximately 7 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and western and northeastern New York. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com. 
 
The Highmark Bright Blue Futures program is designed to ensure healthier, brighter, stronger futures for all, and it focuses on improving equitable access to care, quality of life, and economic resilience in the communities the enterprise serves. For more information, visit Highmark Bright Blue Futures.
 
ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org.
 

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​Media Contact: Carolyn McClair
(212) 721-3341 | Cmcclair@awaacc.org

PITTSBURGH, PA, August 27, 2024 – Get your tickets for vocalist Maysa, prepare your palate, put on your dancing shoes and head to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), 980 Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, for the annual Taste of Jazz Party (TOJ), an evening of music, dancing, food and beverage tastings on Friday, September 20, starting at 8:00 pm with Maysa in concert in the AWAACC main theater followed by TOJ from 9:00 pm – Midnight.

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