The Cookers
The Kente Arts Alliance makes a dramatic return to live in-person concerts at the New Hazlett Theater, Saturday February 19th with The Cookers, an all-star lineup of jazz leaders in a group, together. The Septet includes Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, David Weiss and Donald Harrison. More than half the band were part of the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers, too.
We visit with trumpeter and band wrangler David Weiss, who is the youngest member of this group of leaders, and talk about how this music cooperative is roaring into its 15th year. We also spend some time visiting with pianist and composer George Cables, who has been a Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey, worked with Art Pepper, Frank Morgan, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard - and a long list of notables over the past 5 decades. He talks about how he came to jazz late, and finds something new in the music every day.
There are a number of Pittsburgh connections, including for the bass, piano and drum trio of the Cookers - in 1991, they recorded the album Night and Day, produced by the recently departed bassist and music leader, Mickey Bass.
The jazz trio configuration of Mostly Other People Do the Killing will be celebrating their new release with a concert on February 23 at the City of Asylum in Pittsburgh. Their new recording features all original compositions named after communities in Pennsylvania that experienced disasters. We hear some the sounds, including regarding the Johnstown Flood - and talk to bassist and leader Moppa Elliot.
The SCENE on WZUM - Thursday at 6, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday afternoon at 5 on the Pittsburgh Jazz Channel.
George Cables album, produced by Pittsburgh’s Mickey Bass
