Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Launches PITTSBURGH JAZZLIVE INTERNATIONAL

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will launch Pittsburgh JazzLive International, a new jazz festival on June 3-5, 2011, in the Cultural District. The weekend of music will include a JazzLive Crawl, outdoor stages, national and internationally renowned musicians and a visual art show. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Pittsburgh JazzLive International is produced in cooperation with Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 3-12th.

Janis Burley Wilson, Director of Jazz Programs and Vice President of Education and Community Engagement for The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust says, "Pittsburgh JazzLive International is an expansion of our current year-round jazz programming, and allows the Trust to showcase our regional talent. We also see this festival as an opportunity to bring together legendary artists and the up-and-coming musicians who share with audiences what the future holds for jazz."

On Friday, June 3rd, the JazzLive Crawl will feature two dozen venues in the Cultural District from 5:30-9pm, with a variety of regional acts featured. Downtown Cultural District restaurants, galleries, and coffee shops will participate (details below). Entrance is free; however seating is available only for patrons dining at participating restaurants.

On Saturday, June 4th, the three JazzLive Summer Stages-located at 9th Street and Liberty, Liberty Avenue between 9th and 10th, Penn Avenue between 9th and 10th-will kick off with free live music at 12 noon. Pittsburghers Chelsea Baratz, Craig Davis, and jazz legend Roger Humphries, who have moved on to perform nationally and internationally, will be showcased. Center of Life, the finalist in the Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation competition, will perform their first show since winning at Monterey. The Sean Jones Quintet, Gretchen Parlato, Gregory Porter are young, rising stars that will show us what's new and next in music. Latin jazz master, Bobby Sanabria and his Quarteto Ache, as well as African-French duo, Les Nubians, bring an international flavor to the line-up. And lastly, soul/funk/jazz sensation Soulive will close the evening.

On Sunday, June 5th, Showcase Noir, the African American artist and designer showcase will fill the halls of the Byham Theater with visual art and live jazz. The evening of June 5th, the Cultural Trust has partnered with Grey Area Productions to present soul and blues diva, Bettye Lavette at Altar Bar in the Strip District. Tickets can be purchased through the Pittsburgh JazzLive International website.

The Pittsburgh JazzLive International weekend is presented with support from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Macy's, Savoy Restaurant, the City of Pittsburgh and many in-kind sponsors. All artists and show times are subject to change. Please visit pittsburghjazzlive.com or call 412-456-6666 for updates and information.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY June 4, 2011
JazzLive Crawl

707 Penn Gallery
707 Penn Avenue
QUI VIViT: Artwork by Philip Rostek

937 Liberty Avenue
937 Liberty, 2nd floor
Named-UnNamed sound installation by Herman Pearl

Agnes R. Katz Plaza
655 Penn Avenue
Marc Lucas-electric guitar jazz/funk

August Wilson Center for African American Culture Gallery
980 Liberty Avenue
LeRoy K. Wofford-Blues! 5:30-7:30pm

Backstage Bar
655 Penn Avenue
Sean Ashby-acoustic

Bar on Nine
136 Sixth St.

Bossa Nova
123 7th Street
Puro Queso - Latin Jazz

Caffé Amante
Fifth Avenue Place, 2nd Level
120 Fifth Avenue
Maureen Budway-ballads, vocal jazz

CAPA Gallery
111 Ninth St.
Etta Cox/Al Dowe-classic jazz, hosted by Tony Mowod, DUQ 90.5 FM

Crazy Mocha Coffeehouse
801 Liberty Avenue
Joy Ike-acoustic soul

Future Tenant
833 Penn Avenue
Howie Alexander and the Interval Mondays Band

Grille on Seventh
130 Seventh Street
Chico's Quintet-jazz, funk, R&B

Jazz at Andy's at the Fairmont Hotel
Tania Grubbs Trio-standards, vocals, ballads

Little E's
949 Liberty
Benny Benack III & Friends

Mélange
136 6th Street
Max Leake Quartet-Straightahead jazz

Nola on the Square
24 Market Square
John Gresh

Olive & Twist
142 6th St., 3rd floor
Hubb's Groove - Cleveland funk/jazz

Opus, Renaissance Hotel
107 6th Street
Tim Stevens Project-smooth vocals, cool jazz

Seviche
810 Penn Avenue, Suite 200
George Jones' New View Trio-Latin jazz

Sharp Edge
922 Penn Avenue
Eric Johnson-jazz and blues

Sonoma Grille, Courtyard by Marriott
947 Penn Avenue
Kevin Howard-smooth jazz
JazzLive Jam Session led by Roger Humphries at 10 p.m.

SPACE
812 Liberty Avenue
Living in the Future: sound/art installation by Eric Singer

Tonic Bar and Grill
971 Liberty Avenue
Jamie Moore Quartet-straightahead jazz

Toonseum
945 Liberty Avenue
Thoth Trio-experimental, avant-garde jazz

Trust Arts Education Center
805/807 Liberty Avenue
Afro American Music Institute Youth Jazz Band
5:00-7:30pm

Westin Convention Center Hotel Original Fish Market Restaurant
1000 Penn Avenue
Gerald Haymon Quartet-guitar jazz

Wood Street Galleries
601 Wood Street
Hysterical Machine-robotic art installation

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011
JAZZLIVE SUMMER STAGES

Penn Avenue Stage
12:30 p.m. Center of Life
2:15 p.m. Gretchen Parlato
4:00 p.m. Gregory Porter
6:15 p.m. Soulive/Nigel Hall
9th/Liberty Stage
12:45 p.m. Craig Davis
2:45 p.m. Les Nubians
4:45 p.m. Sean Jones
Liberty Summer Stage
12:30 p.m. Chelsea Baratz
2:30 p.m. Roger Humphries
5:30 p.m. Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché
SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2011
SHOWCASE NOIR
Artwork, jewelry and crafts for sale by African American artists and designers
Byham Theater, 106 Sixth Street

JAZZ BRUNCH
JazzLive Sunday Brunch from 11:00am - 4:00pm
Venue to be announced
Bettye Lavette
Presented in conjunction with Grey Area Productions and WYEP 91.3FM.
Altar Bar
1620 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Doors: 7pm - Show: 8pm
Age Restrictions: 21+ unless with a parent.
Tickets: $20 in advance

Who is Bettye Lavette? The simple answer is Ms. LaVette is one of the greatest soul singers in American music history, possessed of an incredibly expressive voice that one moment will exude a formidable level of strength and intensity and the next will appear vulnerable, reflective, reeking of heartbreak.

To post a comment, you must register and login.