Jazz

Pittsburgh has always had an extraordinarily strong jazz tradition. Along with its native talent, all of the biggest jazz figures who played in New York and traveled to Chicago would stop on the way in Pittsburgh and perform here. This occurred mainly in the late 30s and 40s, exposing young Pittsburgh musicians to the best jazz in existence. Every major jazz musician in the country has appeared in Pittsburgh. Many jazz legends were born in Pittsburgh, including Billy Eckstein, Art Blakey, Billy Strayhorn, Stanley Turrentine, Slide Hampton and more.

Today jazz is still king in Pittsburgh, with events, performances and activities happening all the time. These are just some of the places that carry on the legacy of Pittsburgh's jazz heritage:

Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and it's MCG Jazz Series. Since 1987, MCG Jazz has brought audiences together with jazz artists at its 350 seat music hall in Pittsburgh for innovative four-day performances and recordings. The performance series, one of the oldest in the nation, is an anchor of Pittsburgh cultural and community life. MCGJazz has brought some of the greatest jazz artists to Pittsburgh, including Joe Williams, Billy Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine and Ray Brown.

Duquesne University's jazz program. Jazz at Duquesne emphasizes traditional jazz idioms and includes courses in improvisation, arranging, ear training and performance in small and large ensembles. Duquesne's close association with the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and nearly a dozen area jazz clubs provides a variety of opportunities for students to perform with and learn from nationally-known visiting artists.

University of Pittsburgh Department of Music. The University holds an annual summer Jazz Seminar and Concert, consistently holding some of the best performances of the year.

Mellon Jazz is an ongoing program of performances held in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. In the past, Mellon has featured many of the world's top jazz performers such as Diana Krall (singer), Gary Bartz (alto sax), Gato Barbieri (tenor sax), to name only a few.

Pittsburgh Jazz Society's annual Jazzfest. The Society, established in 1987, is dedicated to the promotion, preservation and perpetuation of all jazz. This is accomplished through education, performance, partnering and community outreach for members and the general public.

WDUQ FM 90.5 is the region's premier jazz station with more than 100 hours of jazz each week, from early 20's jazz to big band swing; from classic jazz masters to up-and-coming new artists.