The Jazz Scene for Pittsburgh in March is shaping up to be remarkable - and all we had to do to get the shape of it was look to Jazz Central!

After two weeks of great specials about Billy Strayhorn and Sonny Rollins, we wondered what to do next. Looking at live jazz in Pittsburgh for March made it easy.

First - here’s a great new interview of Sonny from Alex Heigl of People Magazine done in February 2019. Sonny may not be playing his horn anymore, but he still has much to impart on us all.

How is the archiving project

Well, you know, they’re getting it together at the New York Public Library. It’s gonna take a while, because there was a lot of stuff I didn’t know I had. Now I can get two cars in my garage. [laughs]

What sort of materials are going into the project?

Some horns; I donated one already to Oberlin. A lot of memorabilia, a lot of posters from concerts all over the world, a lot of articles, a lot of tapes of music I recorded with different bands over the years. A whole gang of stuff.

Were you big into recording yourself? Did you tape your live shows?

No, I did not. A lot of this was just stuff that accumulated over the years, but I didn’t save a lot of stuff.o

There’s much more - Kudos to Alex Heigl and People Magazine - click on the link, and buy a copy - some great insights on a jazz great that millions of people will see!

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh - the jazz is roaring in March. Some of the highlights in the next couple of weeks get an airing on the show:

The Balcony Big Band (Spain, from the new release, Chapter 2) - back at Jergel’s Rhythm Grill, Monday March 11.

Vocalist Ann Hampton Calloway (doing “Comes Love” from her album At Last) - performs Monday, March 11 at the Greer Cabaret Theater with another fine singer, Amanda McBroom for two shows

Rufus Reid with a bass rendition of Eubie Blake’s Memories of You from Hues - soloist and clinician for the WVU Jazz Fest - performing March 22 with a clinic March 23 in Morgantown

Vocalist Tania Grubbs - Mancini’s “Charade” from Lost in the Stars - with BassChamber: Deep Bass with a Bit of Treble -Tuesday, March 19

Guitarist Pat Metheny - title Track from Question and Answer - Appearing with his new project in trio, Side Eye, at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, Oakland March 24

Roger Humphries and the RH Factor - Broad Street Walk (written by trumpeter James Moore) from Keep the Faith. Roger performs at Heid House on Sunday March 10, plus the first Thursday of each month at Wallace’s. Trumpeter James Moore headlines at the Backstage Bar, March 19.

Jeff Lashway - Maynard Ferguson’s favorite pianist plays at Presidents Pub in Washington on Sunday - and will be doing much more playing in other cities soon. We hear his wonderful rendition of Quintessence from the release Reunion, featuring Jeff Rupert on sax.

Orrin Evans comes back to Pittsburgh to play a Birthday Jame at City of Asylum/Alphabet City March 28. We hear the pianist with Sean Jones on Juanita from Liberation Blues.

And we finish with a nod to Take Six, coming for two shows at MCG Jazz on March 16.

The Scene - Thursdays at 6pm, Sundays at 5pm on WZUM.