Pittsburgh Jazz Live International

Pittsburgh JazzLive International

The Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival turns 2 years old in June. We have planned an action, music-packed weekend; a jazz explosion, if you will, with over 240 musicians in less than 72 hours! We are even more committed to showcase, promote, and nurture jazz musicians, and the incredibly rich legacy that has made Pittsburgh known worldwide as a hotbed for this music.

The festival has grown in many ways. The JazzLive Crawl on June 1st will feature 150 regional jazz musicians in 30 venues, including an Afrobeat collective on an outdoor stage. On June 2nd and 3rd, we have expanded to two days of music on outdoor stages with super stars performing in the streets of the Cultural District. Legends like the Clayton Brothers, Monty Alexander and a rare performance from Andy and Jerry Gonzalez’ Fort Apache Band will draw many to our city in June. Pittsburgh natives, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Dave Budway, Allan Harris, and Manchester Craftmen’s Guild’s Aurora Fusion band, featuring Marty and Jay Ashby, will make homecoming appearances. We are thrilled to present Lalah Hathaway, and newcomer Carolyn Perteete, as well as Robert Glasper, and Warren Wolf. The Trust is very proud of the recent awards received by Pittsburgh’s own C.O.L. (Center of Life) band. They won first place or best combo, as well as, best solos at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation competition. They will share the stages with the national and international jazz superstars that weekend. The freshness of the Curtis Brothers, Soul Cycle, the Sean Jones Quintet, and more, will surely please the most avid jazz fans. Lastly, r & b legends, Average White Band will create the biggest street party Pittsburgh has ever seen.

Sean Jones, the Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival Artist-in-Residence, will share some new music with the audience. The community writing project, Sound and Spirit Initiative, engages the Pittsburgh community in a group writing project, with students and jazz lovers, to create music inspired by the city of Pittsburgh and its residents.
Also, on June 2nd and 3rd, visit Showcase Noir, featuring African and African American visual artists from all over the country. At the same time, you can visit the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival to see an additional 400 more artists and purchase their unique works of art.

Visual art, straight-ahead jazz, R & B, Latin jazz, electronic jazz fusion, Afrobeat, and a bit of reggae-infused jazz…The Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival has something for everyone! Join us for the biggest weekend of the year!

On behalf of the Trust, I would like to thank the R. K. Mellon Foundation, City of Pittsburgh, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Macys, UPMC and a host of in-kind sponsors, friends and an awesome host committee for making this weekend possible.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust started the weekly series, JazzLive in 2003, and has grown to become one of the biggest supporters of local jazz musicians, as well as, a presenter of jazz legends, and the lens for what the future holds in jazz. Our goal with the Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival is to bring the world to Pittsburgh through great music.

- Janis Burley Wilson, Director of Jazz Programs

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (the Trust)

Established in 1984, The Trust is a non-profit organization that is committed to revitalizing the Pittsburgh region through the creation and ongoing development of the Downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is