The Highline on the Southside has become abuzz with music this month from Chamber Music Pittsburgh. This past week with Hugo Cruz and an all-star band, and coming on Wednesday August 16 with a reunion of the Pittsburgh based performers with vocalist Tania Grubbs that includes guitarist Ron Affif.
Ron. Affif with Ron Anthony from the Syncopated Times
We’ll share a visit with Ron Affif and Tania from 2021 on Ron’s first “homecoming” in years to Pittsburgh. Ron includes stories about his father, noted boxer Charley Zivic/Affif, and his uncle, Frank Sinatra guitarist Ron Anthony.
Ron Affif will be back in town Wednesday August 16th at the Highline Pittsburgh for a show with the Tania Grubbs Quinet - the same lineup from her acclaimed recording done a few years ago in Nyack NY at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, the club run by pianist David Budway and his wife — David will be with the band, Ron Affif - guitar, Jeff Grubbs - bass, James Johnson III - drums and Tania Grubbs, vocals.
We also hear music from Kirk Whalum, in this weekend on Saturday for the Community Empowerment Association in Homewood, a new addition to the lineup for September’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, pianist and smooth jazz innovator Bob James.
Plus music from pianist Deanna Witkowski at the Highland Park Reservoir this Sunday. Also, guitarist John Scofield and saxophonist Jason Kush, coming to Hartwood Acres at the end of the month.
A Great Day in Harlem, revisited
August 12, 1958 - a notable photograph was taken in Harlem.
Now known as “A Great Day in Harlem” or “Harlem 1958,” this black and white photo by freelance photographer Art Kane has become an iconic imprint on this moment in time, preserved for today. It was published in 1959 in Esquire Magazine.
65 years later, there are only two of the 57 adult jazz musicians from that photo still with us: Benny Golson and Sonny Rollins. In 2019, reporter Anthony Mason of CBS This Morning made a wonderful feature of the 60th anniversary of the publication - with saxophonist Benny Golson (who had thrown away his copy years ago - but they got him a replacement!)
We also share words from Art Kane from the 1994 Documentary “A Great Day in Harlem” by Jean Bach. Also featured, bassist (and photographer) Milt Hinton, plus musicians Gerry Mulligan and Scoville Browne, plus the wife Milt, Mona Hilton - she was recruited to run a movie camera to capture much of the day. Milt Hinton’s home movies from that day became the foundation of the award winning documentary.
Pittsburgh’s part in the photo include the presence of Art Blakey, Roy Eldridge, Maxine Sullivan and Mary Lou Williams.
The Scene - Thursdays at 6pm, Friday at Saturdays at noon, Sundays at 5pm on WZUM.
CBS This Morning, January 19, 2019
A deeper dive by filmmaker Jean Bach on the creation of the documentary about A Great Day in Harlem.
Part two of a deeper dive by filmmaker Jean Bach on the creation of the documentary about A Great Day in Harlem.