MCG Jazz

MCG Jazz The best in jazz since 1987. Preserve. Present. Promote.

Since 2008, MCG Jazz’s Pittsburgh Jazz Legends program has honored hometown artists whose performances, teaching, and me...
09/11/2026

Since 2008, MCG Jazz’s Pittsburgh Jazz Legends program has honored hometown artists whose performances, teaching, and mentorship have kept the local jazz scene thriving. On this edition of the MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, host Marty Ashby celebrates the 2026 class with music, interviews, and visits that bring their stories to life.

Meet this year’s five honorees: vibraphonist Tubby Daniels; vocalist, songwriter, and community leader Tim Stevens; saxophonist and longtime educator Curtis Johnson; saxophonist, composer, and educator Eric DeFade; and vocalist and educator Pamela Johnson, co-founder of the Afro-American Music Institute. Together, they represent decades of music-making and dedication to Pittsburgh’s next generation.

Featured musical selections include Eric DeFade’s ballad “Tell Me Again,” from the DeFade Family’s New Frontiers, and Tim Stevens with Leonard Johnson on “The Sadness in My Eyes,” from Reflections.

Marty also celebrates earlier Pittsburgh Jazz Legends with music from Joe Negri and Harold “Mr. Trombone” Betters. You’ll hear the title track from Jim Guerra’s Hold Me, an album featuring a who’s who of Pittsburgh jazz, including Mike Tomaro, John “Doc” Wilson, Eric Susoeff, Lenny Rogers, and George Jones, plus selections from Frank Cunimondo’s Lush Life Epilogue. Other highlights include “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” from Don Aliquo Sr. and Jr.’s Fathers and Sons, featuring Dr. James Johnson Jr., alongside Al Dowe and Etta Cox performing “Late Show” from Sunday Jam and Joe Dallas Sr. and Jr. playing “The Touch of Your Lips” from 1500 Miles.

Music by Bobby Hutcherson and Cannonball Adderley honors the great artists who inspired the legends.

Join Marty Ashby for an hour filled with the music, memories, and connections that make Pittsburgh’s jazz community so special.

Friday and Sunday at 6:00 PM
Saturday at 1:00 PM

The Pittsburgh Jazz Channel WZUM 101.1 FM

This week's CD promotion celebrates that feeling we've all been waiting for: Friday.On Finally Friday, Jason Kush captur...
09/10/2026

This week's CD promotion celebrates that feeling we've all been waiting for: Friday.

On Finally Friday, Jason Kush captures the relief, joy, and renewed energy that come at the end of a long week. More than simply marking the end of stress, Friday represents something deeper for Kush: the opportunity to take the stage, create, connect, and provide a little sonic soul food. Filled with warmth, optimism, and the spirit of shared experience, Finally Friday is a reminder to embrace the moments that bring us comfort and joy.

To purchase, click here: https://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/catalogproductinfo.aspx?catinfo=3942~78f0c928-a599-4914-9d7c-5082dddf9ec0&epguid=37653799-d086-4dd5-89f2-a465cc7a3264&

Celebrate the weekend. Savor the moment. Own the music.

Two incredible nights of roots music are coming to MCG Jazz through our new partnership with Calliope House!Rachel Sumne...
09/09/2026

Two incredible nights of roots music are coming to MCG Jazz through our new partnership with Calliope House!

Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light 📅 October 10, 2026 | 7:30 PM

Sharp harmonies, powerful storytelling, and songs about saints, scientists, and stubborn women. Boston-based trio Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light blend folk tradition with poetic detail, feminist perspectives, and a touch of grit in what they call Femericana. Featuring award-winning songwriter Rachel Sumner alongside Kat Wallace and Mike Siegel, this intimate performance promises music that lingers long after the last note.

Tony Trischka's EarlJam: A Tribute to Earl Scruggs 📅 February 27, 2027 | 7:30 PM

Called "the father of modern bluegrass" by The New York Times, Tony Trischka brings Earl Scruggs' legacy to life through rare recordings, note-for-note transcriptions, and masterful musicianship. Joined by Michael Daves, Alex Hargreaves, and Jared Engel, EarlJam traces the story of one of bluegrass music's most influential pioneers.

📍 MCG Jazz Music Hall

🎟️ Tickets on sale here:

https://www.mcgjazz.org/calliope-presents

Join us for two extraordinary evenings celebrating storytelling, tradition, and the enduring power of acoustic music.

09/08/2026

🎷 Jazz in the District 🎵

TONIGHT at Arts Landing: Theron Brown!

Music starts at 5 pm!

A glimpse of gospel, jazz, and soul from the great legends inspires the sound of pianist Theron Brown’s music. But he plays to encourage and influence people through his talents.

Originally from Zanesville, Ohio, Theron currently resides in Akron, Ohio, where he is the program coordinator for Curated Storefront’s Artist Residency Program at the ‘I Promise School.’ Theron also serves as an educator for the interactive piano learning app Playground Sessions. Theron is heavily involved in the music community as the founder and artistic director of the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival, which takes place annually in Akron, Ohio’s downtown historic district. Theron performs and tours regularly with his trio, which includes Zaire Darden on drums and Jordan McBride on bass.

Part of the BNY presents JazzLive series presented in partnership with MCG Jazz

MCG Jazz will be closed today for the holiday. We will reopen tomorrow.
09/07/2026

MCG Jazz will be closed today for the holiday. We will reopen tomorrow.

This week on the MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, Marty Ashby welcomes drummer and jazz historian Thomas Wendt for his monthly v...
09/04/2026

This week on the MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, Marty Ashby welcomes drummer and jazz historian Thomas Wendt for his monthly visit, this time celebrating the music of the great Joe Williams.

Best remembered for his powerhouse years with Count Basie, Williams was much more than a big-band blues shouter. Marty and Thomas reach beyond Basie to explore his remarkable range—from early recordings with the Andy Kirk and Red Saunders orchestras to swinging standards, deep blues and collaborations with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Thad Jones, and Mel Lewis.

Featuring “September in the Rain,” “Me and the Blues,” “Jump for Joy,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and more, it’s a tour through the unmistakable warmth, swagger and soul of one of jazz’s truly great voices.
Friday and Sunday at 6:00 PM
Saturday at 1:00 PM
WZUM The Pittsburgh Jazz Channel

Celebrate the Season of Change! Mike Tomaro’s Four Seasons is more than music. It's a journey through time, memory, and ...
09/03/2026

Celebrate the Season of Change! Mike Tomaro’s Four Seasons is more than music. It's a journey through time, memory, and emotion. Featuring heartfelt compositions like “Angels” and “Heaven Sent,” this album marks Tomaro’s powerful return after 18 years, backed by a dream team of jazz legends.

As the days grow cooler and routines settle into a new rhythm, there's no better soundtrack for the season. To celebrate fall, we're offering 50% off Four Seasons for a limited time.

Grab your copy today and let the music turn over a new leaf. Buy Here: https://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/catalogproductinfo.aspx?catinfo=4439~78f0c928-a599-4914-9d7c-5082dddf9ec0&epguid=37653799-d086-4dd5-89f2-a465cc7a3264&

This week on The MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, we revisit a favorite conversation from the archives as Marty Ashby sits down ...
08/28/2026

This week on The MCG Jazz Spotlight Show, we revisit a favorite conversation from the archives as Marty Ashby sits down with Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild founder Bill Strickland for an intimate look at the life, music, and ideas behind one of Pittsburgh’s most remarkable cultural institutions.

Recorded at a particularly meaningful moment in MCG’s history, the conversation finds Bill reflecting on a lifetime of work built around a simple but powerful idea: that environment, art, music, and opportunity can change the trajectory of people’s lives. At the time, Bill had recently received his 24th honorary doctorate, while the building he created at 1815 Metropolitan Street—the longtime home of MCG Jazz—had been dedicated as the William E. Strickland Jr. Building.

The story is told through music as much as conversation. Bill brought along recordings that have remained personal favorites throughout his life, creating a playlist filled with warmth, swing, melody, and some of jazz's most distinctive voices.

We'll hear Ray Brown's masterful bass work on "My Romance," the unmistakable sound of Astrud Gilberto on "Brazilian Tapestry," and the cool vibraphone of Cal Tjader on "Key Largo." George Benson brings his Pittsburgh roots and effortless musicianship to "That Sunday, That Summer," while selections from Milt Jackson, Joe Williams, Wes Montgomery, and others round out a collection that tells us something about Bill simply through the records he chose.

It's a conversation about a remarkable life and legacy—but also about the music that has accompanied it. Join Marty Ashby and Bill Strickland as we revisit one of our favorite episodes from The MCG Jazz Spotlight Show.

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

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Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm

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