This week I visited the Galaxy Night Club in Homewood, CJ’s in the Strip District, The August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Downtown Pittsburgh, The Red Onion in the Hill District, Houlihan’s Restaurant in Station Square and Executive Cigars, LLC on the North Side. Don and Caren having a great time at her birthday celebration held at CJ’s in the Strip District. My first stop was at the Galaxy Night Club in Homewood where Big D and his staff held an event for the customers to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers game on wide screen television. Everyone was dressed on black and gold, ate good food and had a great time.
Thursday 18 Jazz jam CJ’s Restaurant & Lounge presents “The Roger Humphries & RH Factor Jazz Jam Session” at 8 p.m. at 2901-2911 Penn Ave., Strip District. There will be live jazz and fun every Thursday night. Must be 30-years or older and there is a dress code that will be enforced. No tennis shoes, sweats, or athletic gear. For more information, call 412-642-2377.
Stellar musicianship, singing and historical storytelling were just some of the gems audiences were treated to during the Pittsburgh debut of Levi Barcourt’s Jazz concert “The Jazz Revue: other special selections and storytelling featuring Levi Barcourt.” LEVI BARCOURT New Horizon Theater was scheduled to bring Barcourt and the Jazz Revue to Pittsburgh last February but the event was postponed due to the winter storms that bombarded the Pittsburgh area. Despite the change, Barcourt was happy to debut his show in The Golden Triangle.
Decisions, decisions. You make three dozen of them every day: get up, or hit the Snooze? Cereal or waffles? This outfit or that one, in which color? Lunch in or out, sandwiches or salad, fix dinner or order take-out, and what’s on TV that’s good? You make so many decisions each day that you barely notice doing it. But what if you couldn’t decide on the biggest issue of your life? In the new novel, “Torn Between Two Lovers” by Carl Weber, the impossible-to-make choice may rip apart several lives. Leon Farrow is having problems.
During a time when only 2 percent of Blacks in Pittsburgh held any of the 30,000 craft union construction jobs during the Pittsburgh’s Renaissance in the 1970s, Nate Smith emerged as a leader to change the staggering statistics on construction sites. NATE SMITH The film, “What Does Trouble Mean? Nate Smith’s Revolution,” explores this issue in Pittsburgh’s history and gives us insight to the man who laid in front of a bulldozer in order to change the face of construction in this city. The film is featured during the 29th Annual Three Rivers Film Festival that opened Nov. 5. The film will run again Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. at the Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Ave.
Dear Gwendolyn: I am sick of the unfairness being done to poor people. This is the problem: Six years ago my daughter (now age 32) applied for a small business loan. To date, she still has not been approved. She has applied each year for the loan. I taught my children not to work for others but instead start their own. I have a 40-year-old son who also tried to get a business loan and gave up. He also applied year after year but nothing was approved. I find this practice to be unfair. Other people are getting the loans and we are being overlooked.
Dr. Laura’s use of the N-word, the Chilean Miners Rescue, and the Black man’s struggle were just some of the topics that comedian DL Hughley talked about during his three-night run at the Pittsburgh Improv Oct. 28-30. Dressed in a black pinstripe suit and sporting a cigar and a glass of red wine, Hughley had the audience cracking up throughout his 45-minute set. D. L. HUGHLEY
This week I visited St. Lawrence O’Toole in Garfield, The Red Onion in the Hill District, CJ’s in the Strip District, Ava Lounge in East Liberty, Ace and Deuces in the Hill District and Mitchell’s Bar in Oakland. My first stop was at CJ’s in the Strip District where they held their annual Halloween Party and everyone was dressed up in costumes including DJ Nick Nice on the 1’s and 2’s spinning the hits. The Indian Chief and his mate at CJ’s in the Strip District.
Witness a living legend when Pharoah Sanders lets loose on his tenor saxophone at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture Nov.13 at 8 p.m. in a concert featuring his long-time collaborator, pianist William Henderson, as well as Pittsburgh jazz masters Dwayne Dolphin on bass and Roger Humphries on drums. PHAROAH SANDERS “The August Wilson Center is honored to partner with Kente Arts Alliance to give the Pittsburgh region this rare opportunity to experience the majesty of Pharoah Sanders,” said André Kimo Stone Guess, president and CEO of The Center. “It’s his first appearance here in 28 years and we know that jazz lovers will turnout in full force to welcome him.”
by Dwight Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier It’s like watching 10,000 Oprah Winfrey shows squeezed into 120 minutes – and no one gets a free car! Some works of art should just be left alone. Would you paint a wider smile on the Mona Lisa? Would you add a break dancing routine to Alvin Ailey’s Revelations? Is there really a need to write another chapter for Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon?” ‘FOR COLORED GIRLS’ CAST
