First off - Celebrate jazz as we celebrate the June 10th - 95th birthday of our guitar hero handyman, Joe Negri. A major fixture on television and in our music scene for many wonderful years - jazz bursting back on the scene is just one of the ways to celebrate Joe and music in Pittsburgh.

And there’s so much more for the Summer of 2021 - we will have to do more than one show to even scratch the surface!

As announced this week - Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is a “go” for September 17-19 in Pittsburgh - with some changes, as Janis Burley Wilson hinted at when we last chatted with her in April. We will speak with her on the radio, soon, but for now - some details:

The 11th Annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival presented by Citizens Bank is a project of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Among the changes, there’ll be one ticketed indoor concert with vocalist Chaka Kahn at the Benedum Center on September 17, 2021 at 8pm.

Events for the 18th and 19th of September will move to the Highmark Stadium located in Station Square, 510 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 with festival passes for admittance. Doors open at 12 noon and performances go until 10pm.

The lineup we know for now includes:

Saturday: The Baylor Project, Christian Scott, aTunde Adjuah, Jazzmeia Horn, The Kenny Garrett Quintet, Gregory Porter, and Marcus Miller.

Sunday: Lakecia Benjamin, Jeff *Tain* Watts, and Dianne Reeves

More performers to be announced later in June. Public sale of tickets open on June 15th

New on the North Side - Alphabet City / City of Asylum has set up in-person performances that include jazz for “Summer on Sampsonia” at 318 Sampsonia Way, including live in-person Sunday night shows from the Yoko Suzuki Trio (June 13) and the Thomas Wendt Quartet (June 27).

The new Inside/Outside Music Festival at the Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park will bring piano greats, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra and a homecoming for vocalist Allan Harris as a part of the mix, starting June 24th.

The Monroeville Jazz Festival is a “go” for Saturday, September 4th at the Tall Trees Amphitheater from 2-8pm. The evening showcase is The Pittsburgh Jazz All-Stars Extravaganza, a celebration of some of Pittsburgh’s most notable performers including Etta Cox, Maria Sargent, Mark Strickland, Max Leake, Robbie Klein, Mike Houlis, and Billy Kuhn. Also performances by:

The Afro-American Music Institute - Youth Jazz Ensemble;

The Tubby Daniels Band featuring vocalist Anita Levels; and

John Shannon Trio with Thomas Wendt and Tony DePaolis

There’s also jazz galore as a part of Juneteenth music events at Point State Park and other locations, starting June 18 and through the 24th of the month!

Follow Jazz Central for more details as we find out and share!

The Scene - Thursday at 6pm, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday afternoon at 5.