Blog Posts

MUMU FRESH PERFORMS AT THE AWAACC 11/18

11/8/2023

Vocalist, Emcee, Composer and Social Activist MUMU FRESH
Brings Her Engaging and Empowering Artistry
to the August Wilson African American Culture Center’s SOUL SESSIONS
Saturday, November 18, 2023, 8:00 pm

PITTSBURGH, PA – October 31, 2023 - Baltimore-born Maimouna Youssef, better known as Mumu Fresh, is more than an artist – she is a summation point where hip-hop, jazz, R&B, blues, spoken word, soul and world music come together in one amazing performer. Following a dynamic guest appearance with trumpeter Keyon Harrold at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival presented by Citizens in September, Mumu Fresh brings her songs and stories of the struggles and strivings of Black and Brown folk to the latest installment of Soul Sessions presented by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), 980 Liberty Avenue, on Saturday, November 18, 2023, 8:00 pm.

2023 Satchmo Award

10/18/2023

The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation Honors
NEA Jazz Master/Bassist Reggie Workman
with the 2023 Satchmo Award
at the FREE WBGO Jazz for Young People Concert,
Armstrong: Past, Present and Future,
at Flushing Town Hall, Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 11:00 am

New York, NY - October 12, 2023 - The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) will present the world-renowned bassist, composer, bandleader, educator and NEA Jazz Master Reggie Workman with the foundation’s prestigious Satchmo Award for his seven decades of jazz musicianship and education during WBGO’s Kids Jazz Concert Series at Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 11:00AM.

2023 HBHF

10/13/2023

World-Renowned Bluesmen BOBBY RUSH and ERIC GALES,
Latin Jazz Percussion Master PETE ESCOVEDO
and Legendary Afro-Cuban Vocalist OMARA PORTUONDO
Headline the 6th Annual Highmark Blues & Heritage Festival,
Friday and Saturday, November 3-4, 8:00 pm,
at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center

PITTSBURGH, PA – The 6th Annual Highmark Blues & Heritage Festival presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield lights up downtown Pittsburgh, this year showcasing the extensions and connections of the blues – from Africa to the Americas – with two generations of Blues stars, Bobby Rush and Eric Gales on Friday, November 3, and two grand masters of Latin music, percussionist extraordinaire Pete Escovedo featuring Nestor Torres and singer and original member of the Buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo on Saturday, November 4. Both evenings take place at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center, 980 Liberty Avenue, at 8:00 pm.

Joan Watson-Jones Returns to The Lilypad 10/21/23

10/10/2023

Vocalist Joan Watson-Jones Returns
to The Lilypad Saturday, October 21 | 4:30 pm

CAMBRIDGE, MA, October 10, 2023 – Vocalist/lyricist/composer Joan Watson-Jones sings with conviction, swings with precision and turns a lyric into a cool, compelling musical story. Hear her melodious narratives at The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge Street in Cambridge, on Saturday, October 21, at 4:30 pm.

John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead, Saturday, 9/23, 3:00 pm

9/19/2023

Trumpeter Miles Davis, left, with Saxophonist John Coltrane

Harlem Set to Celebrate the Second Annual FREE
John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead
September 23, 3:00 – 8:00 pm,
at Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park

Harlem, NY – What could make a celebration of jazz giant/saxophonist John Coltrane even better? Throw a FREE concert on his birthday, September 23, add in a salute to the musical genius Miles Davis, and invite music fans throughout the region to celebrate at the second annual John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, 3:00 – 8:00 pm.

Renowned Pianists Take the Stage at Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens

9/7/2023

Piano/Keyboard Masters Bob James, Orrin Evans, P.J. Morton,
Nigel Hall, Kevin Howard and Howie Alexander Perform at
the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
September 14-17 at Highmark Stadium
and August Wilson African American Cultural Center

PJ Morton

PITTSBURGH, PA, September 07, 2023 – The late, great Pittsburgh pianist Ahmad Jamal said, “I think Pittsburghers are stylists. They all have their approach…” Mr. Jamal was speaking of the many jazz musicians who came from the city, including piano players Earl “Fatha” Hines, Mary Lou Williams and Erroll Garner. And like those aforementioned masters, an accomplished potpourri of pianists/keyboardists – Bob James, Orrin Evans, P.J. Morton, Nigel Hall, Kevin Howard and Howie Alexander – will display their myriad styles and approaches at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) presented by Citizens September 14 – 17 at Highmark Stadium, Station Square, 510 W Station Square Dr., and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), 980 Liberty Ave.

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Bring a Party to the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens, September 16

8/30/2023

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Perform at
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 8:45 pm

Guest Vocalists Include Cherrelle, Ann Nesby, Mary Davis,
Kevin Ford and Crystal Kay

PITTSBURGH, PA, August 30, 2023 – Five-time Grammy-winning Minneapolis producers/songwriters, keyboardist James Samuel Harris, III, aka Jimmy Jam, and bassist Terry Lewis are one of the most successful and influential producer/songwriter teams of all time. They put Janet Jackson in “Control,” and made her and her brother Michael “Scream,” told the SOS Band to “Take Your Time, Do it Right,” and gave Cheryl Lynn her well-deserved “Encore.” Now, this dynamic duo, along with some special friends, will perform a very rare live set at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens (PIJF) on Saturday, September 16, 8:45 pm, at Highmark Stadium.

Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by CitizensLaunches the MVP (Music Is Very Powerful ) Program

8/30/2023

Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
Launches the MVP (Music Is Very Powerful ) Program,
Offering Students/Regional Musicians 500 Complimentary Tickets
to Concerts at Highmark Stadium, September 16 and 17

FREE Community Concerts and The Jazz Crawl
Spread the Joy of Jazz Across the City

PITTSBURGH, PA, August 29, 2023 – The Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens launches the MVP (Music is Very Powerful) Program to continue to nurture the next generation of music audiences, deliver jazz to seniors in their communities, support musicians, and bring jazz to neighborhoods across the region. The program will offer a minimum 500 complimentary festival passes for Saturday and Sunday at Highmark Stadium on September 16-17, 2023. Regional musicians will receive 100 festival passes and 400 local high school and college students, with valid ID, will receive general admission festival passes.

Taalam Acey Presents SPOKEN WORD APEX September 8 at NJPAC

8/21/2023

Newark’s Native Son TAALAM ACEY Presents SPOKEN WORD APEX, An Incredible Evening of Performance Poetry Featuring Theresa Tha SONGBIRD, K-Love, 13 of Nazareth, and Ed Mabrey, With DJ Doughboy, Visual Performing Artist Iyaba IBO Mandingo
and Host Narubi Selah
at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Victoria Theater,
Friday, September 8, 8:00 pm

Tickets Are $49.00 – $99.00

NEWARK, NJ, August 21, 2023 – With 17 CD’s and eight books to his credit, the globe-spanning, award-winning, Newark-born, Georgia-based poet/curator Taalam Acey – “The Godfather of Spoken Word” – is one of the most impactful and inspirational artists of our time. Acey returns home to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s (NJPAC’s) Victoria Theater, 1 Center Street in Newark, on Friday, September 8, 2023 at 8:00 pm to curate Spoken Word Apex, an electrifying night of spoken word poetry from several world-renowned poets assembled by Acey including, Theresa Tha SONGBIRD, K-Love, 13 of Nazareth, and Ed Mabrey. Those poets will be supported by DJ Doughboy, visual performing artist Iyaba IBO Mandingo and the evening’s host will be actress/poet Narubi Selah.

Vibraphonist Jay Hoggard Introduces RETRO FOCUS August 14

8/7/2023

Vibraphonist/Composer JAY HOGGARD Releases RETRO FOCUS,
August 14, 2023 on the JHVM Label

This Riveting Retrospective Recording Features Jay’s Most Popular
and Critically-Acclaimed Compositions, along with collaborators
Gary Bartz, Yoron Israel, James Weidman and Winard Harper

NEW YORK, NY, August 7, 2023 – For four decades, Jay Hoggard has been highly regarded as a master of the vibraphone and marimba, a supportive and engaging bandleader, a comprehensive and compelling composer immersed in the infinite musical varieties of the African Diaspora, a dedicated educator and a respected recording artist.

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MUMU FRESH PERFORMS AT THE AWAACC 11/18

Vocalist, Emcee, Composer and Social Activist MUMU FRESH
Brings Her Engaging and Empowering Artistry
to the August Wilson African American Culture Center’s SOUL SESSIONS
Saturday, November 18, 2023, 8:00 pm

2023 Satchmo Award

The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation Honors
NEA Jazz Master/Bassist Reggie Workman
with the 2023 Satchmo Award
at the FREE WBGO Jazz for Young People Concert,
Armstrong: Past, Present and Future,
at Flushing Town Hall, Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 11:00 am

2023 HBHF

Joan Watson-Jones Returns to The Lilypad 10/21/23

Vocalist Joan Watson-Jones Returns
to The Lilypad Saturday, October 21 | 4:30 pm

John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead, Saturday, 9/23, 3:00 pm

Harlem Set to Celebrate the Second Annual FREE
John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead
September 23, 3:00 – 8:00 pm,
at Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park

Renowned Pianists Take the Stage at Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens

Piano/Keyboard Masters Bob James, Orrin Evans, P.J. Morton,
Nigel Hall, Kevin Howard and Howie Alexander Perform at
the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
September 14-17 at Highmark Stadium
and August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Bring a Party to the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens, September 16

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Perform at
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 8:45 pm

Guest Vocalists Include Cherrelle, Ann Nesby, Mary Davis,
Kevin Ford and Crystal Kay

Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by CitizensLaunches the MVP (Music Is Very Powerful ) Program

Taalam Acey Presents SPOKEN WORD APEX September 8 at NJPAC

Vibraphonist Jay Hoggard Introduces RETRO FOCUS August 14

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Vocalist, Emcee, Composer and Social Activist MUMU FRESHBrings Her Engaging and Empowering Artistryto the August Wilson African American Culture Center’s SOUL SESSIONSSaturday, November 18, 2023, 8:00 pm

The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation HonorsNEA Jazz Master/Bassist Reggie Workman ​with the 2023 Satchmo Awardat the FREE WBGO Jazz for Young People Concert,Armstrong: Past, Present and Future,at Flushing Town Hall, Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 11:00 am

World-Renowned Bluesmen BOBBY RUSH and ERIC GALES,Latin Jazz Percussion Master PETE ESCOVEDO and Legendary Afro-Cuban Vocalist OMARA PORTUONDOHeadline the 6th Annual Highmark Blues & Heritage Festival,Friday and Saturday, November 3-4, 8:00 pm,at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Vocalist Joan Watson-Jones Returnsto The Lilypad Saturday, October 21 | 4:30 pm​

Harlem Set to Celebrate the Second Annual FREEJohn Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles AheadSeptember 23, 3:00 – 8:00 pm,at Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park

Piano/Keyboard Masters Bob James, Orrin Evans, P.J. Morton,Nigel Hall, Kevin Howard and Howie Alexander Perform atthe Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by CitizensSeptember 14-17 at Highmark Stadiumand August Wilson African American Cultural Center

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Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Perform at Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizensat Highmark Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 8:45 pm Guest Vocalists Include Cherrelle, Ann Nesby, Mary Davis,Kevin Ford and Crystal Kay

Archives

Categories

Vocalist, Emcee, Composer and Social Activist MUMU FRESH
Brings Her Engaging and Empowering Artistry
to the August Wilson African American Culture Center’s SOUL SESSIONS
Saturday, November 18, 2023, 8:00 pm

The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation Honors
NEA Jazz Master/Bassist Reggie Workman
with the 2023 Satchmo Award
at the FREE WBGO Jazz for Young People Concert,
Armstrong: Past, Present and Future,
at Flushing Town Hall, Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 11:00 am

Vocalist Joan Watson-Jones Returns
to The Lilypad Saturday, October 21 | 4:30 pm

Harlem Set to Celebrate the Second Annual FREE
John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead
September 23, 3:00 – 8:00 pm,
at Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park

Piano/Keyboard Masters Bob James, Orrin Evans, P.J. Morton,
Nigel Hall, Kevin Howard and Howie Alexander Perform at
the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
September 14-17 at Highmark Stadium
and August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Perform at
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Presented by Citizens
at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 8:45 pm

Guest Vocalists Include Cherrelle, Ann Nesby, Mary Davis,
Kevin Ford and Crystal Kay