Pittsburgh has a long and glorious reputation for producing some of the hottest players in the history of America's Classical Music – Jazz!

      Consider just some of the early pioneers…Erroll Garner, Billy Strayhorn, Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Ahmad Jamal, MaryLou Williams, Dodo Marmarossa, Joe Pass, Henry Mancini, John Heard, Stanley and Tommy Turrentine, Rodger Humphries, Dakota Staton, Bobby Boswell, Roy Eldridge, and others, and you will begin to get the idea that Pittsburgh is a hotbed for jazz and compositional talent.

      Perhaps it was the ethic of this hard working steel town of the early 20th century, or maybe the fact that many performers in the 20's and 30's used Pittsburgh as a proving ground for their work; Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, and vaudeville producers all agreed that if their act went over in Pittsburgh, it was bound to succeed elsewhere.

      Geography played a major role. Pittsburgh was on the mainline for trains to and from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and points west. It made sense to book an act at all the stops. So players intermingled with the Pittsburgh musicians, and the influence spread across the land. Pittsburgh became not just another stop, but a place where bandleaders could recruit raw talent, and the local musicians could learn and grow with players from far away.

      The music continued unabated after WWII – bebop came into full swing at clubs like the Midway, the Crawford Grill, the Hurricane, and the Copa. Art Tatum held forth one night with Garner, Jahmal, and Bobby Cardillo in the audience, dissecting each of their styles. Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy all played here with the local cats. And many bandleaders picked up key members from Pittsburgh; Duke with Strayhorn, Dizzy with Dodo, Oscar with Ray, Groove with George Benson, Horace with Rodger... the list goes on.

      There was an interesting musical harmony among the races in Pittsburgh. Until the 60's, there existed two musician's unions – white and black. Yet both got along, despite the segregation elsewhere. A musician was accepted if he could play, not because of his color. This led to breaking down the color barrier long before it was considered hip. Black and white clubs still existed, but with a mix that counted on your soul rather than ethnicity.

      In the 50's, 60's, and early 70's, Pittsburgh was one swingin' town. People had money to spend, and that they did, supporting live music of every kind. Supper clubs, dance clubs, and jazz clubs flourished. A venue of particular interest for jazz players were the after hours clubs – a speakeasy of sorts – where players could gather in the wee hours after their gig, and sit in with whoever was passing through town. Many younger musicians cut their teeth with players from all over the world at these late night jam sessions. The lessons were invaluable, and produced some of the great musicians that now influence contemporary Pittsburgh players.

      The roll call of world-class musicians from that era that left Pittsburgh for opportunities elsewhere is well-known. But the players who stayed or returned imparted a lasting impression on those younger musicians to come: Bobby Boswell, Bobby Negri, Ron Anthony, Gene Ludwig, J. C. Moses, Johnny Costa, Joe Negri, Eric Kloss, Ron Fudoli, Joe Harris, Nathan Davis, Jerry Melega, Frank Cunimundo, Spider Rondinelli, Danny Conn, George Green, Rodger Humphries, Joe Dallas, Louie Schrieber, Rodger Ryan, Sandy Staley, and many others.

      The steel industry died in the late 70's, and with it, many of the venues that counted on the free flow of spending money. Yet the artistry and legacy of these influential players lives on in the many great contemporary Pittsburgh artists. There exists a dearth of wonderful musicians in the past 30 years: pianists Don DiPaolis, Max Leake, David Budway, Keith Stebler, and John Damico; bassists Dave Pellow, Paul Thompson, Brian Stahursky, Dwayne Dolphin, and the late Mike Taylor; drummers Lenny Rodgers, James Johnson, Jr., Billy Kuhn, and Greg Humphries; guitarists Ken Karsh, Eric Johnson, Luther DeJaronette, and Eric Susoeff; saxophonists Kenny Blake, Eric Leeds, Eric DeFade, Chris Hemmingway, and Don Aliquo, Jr.; and trumpeters Chuck Austin, Dan Donahue, Squirrel Mosely, and Matt Blistan.

      A vital scene still exists in Pittsburgh amongst those who perform the Art of Spontaneous Composition. The legacy of those who came before will always remain; the future lies with those who continue the tradition of great Pittsburgh jazz.