Looking in to the new year, there’s a lot of jazz activity in Pittsburgh and around the country for January. In New Orleans, the Jazz Education Network just held a major gathering. In New York City, APAP - the Association of Performing Arts Professionals is meeting, and jazz is a major part of it (including Pittsburghers Allan Harris and Howie Alexander). Also in New York, a return after a 4-year hiatus - of the Jazz Congress at Jazz at Lincoln Center. We’ll have news from all of that activity in the weeks ahead.
With COVID-19 mostly in the rear-view mirror, 2024 looks to be part of a new “roaring 20’s” of a sort. Back then, as the economy was coming back from the Great War and the 1918 Flu pandemic, the music scene in Pittsburgh was a part of that “roar.”
Yet, many of the artists from that era in Pittsburgh are not remembered, today.
Pianist and historian Tom Roberts is working to lift some covers on that forgetting - and finding new artists from 100 years ago that deserve to be heard.
We visit with Tom about that - including Pittsburgh natives like Babe and Frank Russin, and Hildred and Frank “Fat man” Humphries (uncles of Pittsburgh drumming icon and mentor Roger Humphries).
We also visit with pianist Orrin Evans from 2022 event wrapping up the Erroll Garner centenary - and how our predecessors influence us.
We’ll also hear a new release just in the mailbox from drummer Reid Hoyson, along with Billy Test - piano, Rufus Reid - bass and Hendrik Meurkens - vibes (and a bit of harmonica).
The Scene - Thursday at 6pm, Sunday at 5pm, Friday and Saturday at noon on WZUM.
Babe Russin
Tom Roberts by Scott Hanley, WZUM
Orrin Evans