MCG Jazz

06/16/2026

It was an honor to have had the master here just under two years ago. At age 90, he performed with passion, poignancy, and a deep sense of history felt in every note. It was easily one of the most profound concerts on the MCG Jazz stage. His commitment to the music will be an inspiration forever. Rest in Peace, Abdullah.

Photo: Abdullah Ibrahim Trio concert at MCG Jazz, November 9, 2024, by

06/16/2026

The Kings of Latin Jazz
Tito Puente, Jr. & Nestor Torres

🗓️ Sunday, June 28, 2026
⏰ 7:30 PM
📍 Hartwood Acres Park Amphitheater

Opening performance by Hugo Cruz and Caminos
Presented as part of the Allegheny County Summer Concert Series, this event is free and open to the public, with no tickets required.

Event Details:
• Food trucks, Black Dog Winery, and Hop Farm Brewing Company will be on-site beginning at 6:00 PM
• Concerts are held rain or shine
• Venue is an open-air amphitheater with no covered seating

06/12/2026

SJMO's Ellington Masterworks OUT NOW!

To purchase, click here: https://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/catalogproductinfo.aspx?catinfo=6410~78f0c928-a599-4914-9d7c-5082dddf9ec0&epguid=37653799-d086-4dd5-89f2-a465cc7a3264&

The variety that characterized the abundant composition legacy of Duke Ellington is masterfully captured on this eight-selection program that is bookended by two compositions from 1940, “The Flaming Sword,” a Latin swing tune and “Jack the Bear,” most noted for the bass work of the legendary Jimmy Blanton on the original recording.

There are two pieces inspired by the world-wide travels of the Ellington band, “Ad Lib on Nipon” that grew out of a 1964 tour in Japan, and “Oclupaca,” part of the Latin American Suite. The other selection came from Such Sweet Thunder, the suite that was inspired by the works of Shakespeare, the selection here being “Madness in the Great Ones,” a take on the story of Hamlet.

The informative liner notes by Thomas Cunniffe provide wonderful background and analysis of each selection. The ex*****on by the band of these demanding charts is exactly what the material demands.

06/12/2026

This week on The MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, we celebrate one of the towering voices in jazz history: Sonny Rollins. Our special guest is saxophonist Erik Lawrence, who joins us for a personal and musical tribute to Rollins’ massive sound, fearless imagination, and lifelong pursuit of discovery on the tenor saxophone.

Few artists have balanced raw power, humor, intellect, and spontaneity the way Sonny Rollins has. His music draws from bebop, hard bop, calypso, standards, show tunes, and deep rhythmic invention, but the result is always unmistakably Sonny. We’ll hear him alongside Miles Davis on “Serpent’s Tooth,” stretching out on “Old Devil Moon” from the legendary Live at the Village Vanguard recordings, and bringing his singular voice to selections from Saxophone Colossus, The Complete RCA Victor Recordings, and Sonny Rollins’ Next Album.

The playlist follows the wide reach of Rollins’ imagination — from “I’ve Told Every Little Star” and “Moritat,” his take on the Brecht and Weill classic better known as “Mack the Knife,” to “Three Little Words” and “The Everywhere Calypso.” These are performances full of wit, muscle, melody, and motion, where familiar songs become newly discovered territory, and simple grooves open into entire worlds.

Erik Lawrence also shares his perspective on Sonny Rollins the person, reflecting on meaningful conversations with the master and offering insight into the curiosity, humility, discipline, and relentless artistic drive behind the sound. It’s a tribute not only to a great saxophonist, but to an artist who never stopped asking what else the music could become.

That’s this week's MCG Jazz Spotlight, featuring Erik Lawrence and a tribute to the great Sonny Rollins.

Friday and Sunday at 6:00 PM
Saturday at 1:00 PM
The Pittsburgh Jazz Channel WZUM 101.1 FM

06/12/2026

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/11/3310742/0/en/U-S-Navy-s-premier-jazz-ensemble-to-perform-in-Pittsburgh-and-greater-Rochester-area.html

Next Thursday at MCG Jazz!

Free live jazz with the U.S. Navy...

06/11/2026

🎶 Live at MCG Jazz: Jamie Baum Septet+ 🎶
📅 Friday, June 26, 2026
⏰ 7:30 PM

Don’t miss the MCG‑Pittsburgh debut of world‑renowned flutist and composer Jamie Baum and her fearless NYC ensemble, Jamie Baum Septet+. Known for her bold, “take no prisoners” sound, Baum has appeared in the DownBeat Critics Poll every year since 1998 and has earned 14 Jazz Journalists Association nominations for Flutist of the Year.

The group performs music from their latest release, What Times Are These — hailed as “thrilling” and “a revelation,” and awarded 5 stars by DownBeat.

📰 “She’s got an elegantly persuasive composing hand.” — The New York Times

🎟️ Click here: https://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=995753~78f0c928-a599-4914-9d7c-5082dddf9ec0&

06/10/2026

We’re excited to share that MCG Jazz has been awarded a $13,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This support helps make possible free public concerts and educational programs featuring the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, presented as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Free tickets will be available with advance reservation.

To reserve tickets, click here:https://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=995751~78f0c928-a599-4914-9d7c-5082dddf9ec0&showing=1012483&

06/05/2026

This week on MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, Marty Ashby is joined by saxophonist, arranger, composer, and educator Mike Tomaro for a special program marking America’s 250th anniversary, celebrating military jazz bands and the musicians who serve the country while burning down the bandstand.

Tomaro spent 18 years as a member of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, a unit of “Pershing’s Own,” The United States Army Band, and brings both a musician’s ear and an insider’s perspective to the conversation. With the U.S. Navy Band Commodores coming to the MCG Jazz stage on June 18, the episode explores the artistry, discipline, and swing that have long defined these ensembles.

The program features several of America’s premier military jazz ensembles, including The U.S. Army Blues, the Airmen of Note, the Jazz Ambassadors, and the U.S. Navy Band Commodores. The playlist moves from The U.S. Army Blues’ hard-charging “The Saxoffonist” from Scream Machine, to the Airmen of Note’s take on “In a Sentimental Mood,” the Jazz Ambassadors’ “Hidden Agenda,” and the Navy Commodores’ “Caravan” and “Cathal Brugha Blues.”

Along the way, Marty and Mike discuss the extraordinary musicianship of these groups, the discipline required to perform at that level, and the living thread that connects today’s military jazz bands to the golden age of the big band — from Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller to the great orchestras that helped define American music.

It’s a tradition rooted in swing, service, precision, and ensemble craft, while continuing to evolve through new arrangements, original compositions, and seriously dangerous horn sections.

Friday and Sunday at 6:00 PM
Saturday at 1:00 PM
The Pittsburgh Jazz Channel WZUM 101.1 FM

06/05/2026

City Winery Pittsburgh & MCG Jazz present Hugo Cruz and Caminos: Cuban Jazz Party Brunch live on Saturday, July 11th, at 12:00 PM!

Hugo Cruz & Caminos deliver a vibrant and contemporary celebration of Afro-Cuban music, blending the rhythms and melodies of Cuba with jazz, funk, rock, R&B, and more. Led by Cuban-born, award-winning drummer, composer, and educator Hugo Cruz, the ensemble creates an original sound that honors traditional Cuban forms while pushing them into exciting new territory.

Tickets are on-sale here: https://tickets.citywinery.com/event/hugo-cruz-and-caminos-cuban-jazz-party-brunch-9qoeav