This week I visited the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum in Homewood, Melange Bristo Bar and Lounge in Downtown Pittsburgh, Robert Williams Park in the Hill District, Ava Lounge in East Liberty and Tim’s Bar in the Hill District. My first stop was at Ava Lounge in East Liberty where DJ Vex was on the 1s and 2s doing his thing. Ava is the place to be on a Friday night, so come check it out. Hill District residents getting their party on at the Terrace Village Hill District reunion at the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum.
Thursday 2 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.
AUGUSTA, Ga.—The rumors are running rampant throughout many major cities in the nation—live (traditional) jazz is just about dead. Well, during a recent Smooth Jazz” show at the William Bell Auditorium in the heart of Augusta, Ga.’s entertainment district, a lineup of jazz stars headed by virtuoso guitarist Norman Brown, vocalist Phil Perry, keyboardist Alex Bugnon and rising sax superstar Eric Darius, provided jazz lovers with arguably the finest-ever jazz performance in recent times. NORMAN BROWN Billed as the “3rd Annual CSRA Jazz Festival,” the show featured several of the world’s premier jazz men who are predominant when it comes to the nouveau jazz category called Smooth Jazz.
by Ashley G. WoodsonFor New Pittsburgh Courier This week I visited the Sanders Family Reunion in Penn Hills, Umoja’s African Arts in the Park at Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side, CJ’s in the Strip District, Herbie Hancock at Heinz Hall and Jenesis Magazine at the Shadow Lounge in East Liberty. My first stop was at CJ’s in the Strip District where DJ Nick Nice was on the 1’s and 2’s playing all the hits for the crowd. Chilling at CJ’s in the Strip District.
Originally from Penn Hills, John Wilson, also known as hip-hop artist Mista Scrap, is Pittsburgh’s next artist to break out and become a national artist. He has been on the hip-hop music scene since he was nine years old and has not looked back since. He was inspired by Run DMC and Cool J and other legends in the game from back in the day. Wilson’s music is about life because he keeps it real and creates his own style. He raps about things that he has been through. He takes it seriously and it is not a joke. He also taught his son and younger brother to rap. MISTA SCRAP “Hip-hop music is fabricated and no one is creative anymore and the music is watered down,” he said.
BNY Mellon Jazz presented Herbie Hancock’s “The Imagine Project” at Heinz Hall and he gave the audience a mesmerizing performance from beginning to end. In the music industry for nearly five decades, he knows what it takes to captivate his audience through music and song. Young, old, Black and White came to see and hear the piano genius as he took us on a musical journey. HERBIE HANCOCK Hancock was joined by Vinnie Colaiuta (percussion), Lionel Loueke (guitar), Pino Palladino (bass), Greg Phillinganes (keyboard) and Kristina Train (vocals).
“And stay out of trouble!” There they were, the oft-repeated departing instructions from parents and teachers, grandparents and big brothers. You heard those words all your life, over and over. Stay out of trouble, as if it was easy. Stay out of trouble, as if temptation wasn’t everywhere. As if anything fun ever came from being good. As if it was possible. In the new book “Two the Hard Way” by Travis Hunter, two brothers from Atlanta’s inner city don’t have to bother searching for trouble.
Thursday 26 Book signing Borders Eastside Bookstore presents a Book Discussion and Signing with Joe Trotter and Jared Day of CMU for their book “Race and Renaissance: African Americans in Pittsburgh since World War II” at 6 p.m. at 5986 Penn Circle South, East Liberty. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 412-383-2493.
Shawn Hopson, Charles Carter and Warren Wilson formed the group called Club Duo to bring the community together with a sophisticated and classy event called Smooth Jazz Fridays. This event is held each first Friday of the month at the Holiday Inn in Oakland. Line dancing, a deejay and a live band make up the itinerary for this event. The live bands range from jazz to hip-hop and R&B music. Fifteen years ago Shawn Hopson and his partners decided to do a First Friday’s event at the Braddock Hills Holiday Inn. In the beginning it was a deejay and a jazz band. The deejay played on one floor while the jazz band was on another floor. It was a nice flow because it gave people options to hear jazz, hip-hop or R&B. SERENADING THE LADIES—R&B/soul singer Danny Boy, formerly of Death Row Records, performs at Smooth Jazz Fridays.
This week I visited the William Pitt Student Union in Oakland, the Bynum Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh, Holiday Inn in Oakland, Schenley Park in Oakland and the Montage in Wilkinsburg, Pa. My first stop was at the William Pitt Student Union where the Darkins Group held their annual Pittsburgh Music and Entertainment Conference with music execs giving aspiring artists tips on how to be successful in the music industry. Actress LisaRaye, singer Newland and Mr. Ross were panelists for this event. Intrinsiq from Washington, D.C., performed live on stage at the 7th Annual Black Family Reunion at Schenley Park.
