Adoptive Pittsburgh jazz artist and author Deanna Witkowski has had an eventful spring - and we catch up with her in a chat on the radio.
Deanna has finished a major part of her PhD studies at Pitt, just received a major award from the Jazz Journalists Association for her biography of Mary Lou Williams, and just got back from a tour to a town very special to Mary Lou - Kansas City - joined by Pittsburghers Dwayne Dolphin, Roger Humphries and Roby Edwards. We also share some of Deanna’s Music and Mary Lou’s, too.
Deanna Witkowski and Mary Lou Williams
That led us to a discussion about Kansas City as a jazz city deserving much more recognition (like Pittsburgh). That got us thinking about our Pittsburgh/KC connections from Bird to Bobby Watson and more.
Logan Richardson
Then, a day later, John Shannon from Con Alma calls us to let us know that the GH3 Jam session next Tuesday will be on hiatus because a great New York based saxophonist will be stopping by downtown for a gig on the way to his hometown - Kansas City! Logan Richarson’s Blues People will be a highlight of a very busy jazz week ahead. We’ll hear highlights from Logan’s recent release with Pat Metheny and Jason Moran as a part of the mix.
So, a lot of jazz from Pittsburgh to Kansas City - 845 miles along Interstate 70, but a musical hour that will go by very quickly.
Plus some other highlights of the jazz Scene in Pittsburgh, now, including Oliver Lake and pianist Caludio Cujaniz for Jazz Poetry at Alphabet City. There’s even more - find it at WZUM’s always updating calendar of jazz - Jazz Central
Thursday night at six, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday afternoon at 5 on WZUM
Oliver Lake
