Pittsburg, PA
The Pittsburgh Jazz Fest 1964 – Mary Lou Williams and more – on the Scene — WZUM Jazz Pittsburgh
September 1964 – the Beatles played the Pittsburgh Civic Arena for their first and only show in the Steel City. Months earlier, a very major first happened in that same location, with echoes reverberating from 60 years ago now .
The lineup for the 2024 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival will be announced April 30th for the September event. The idea of a Jazz Festival in Pittsburgh started much earlier – concerts June 19th and 20th 1964 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena – with planning led by Mary Lou Williams that went on for several years.
We’ve not yet found a printed program or compressive report of that notable weekend, but through columns and articles from the Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Press and the New Pittsburgh Courier, a fuller picture of the notable weekend comes in to view – plus, a few stellar photos by the legendary Teenie Harris!
It was a very Pittsburgh focused event with a global ambition. “Hometown” headliners – the Mary Lou Williams trio (Larry Gales – bass, Percy Brice – drums), vocalist Dakota Staton and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers; The Walt Harper Quartet, the Harold Betters Quartet with Benny Benack. Add in the (40 piece) Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra, directed by Melba Liston.
Other headliners included the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Thelonious Monk Quartet (featuring Charlie Rouse), The Jimmy Smith Trio and a band led by trombonist Al Gray. Also, vocalists Joe Williams and Jimmy Rushing.
Also on the playbill, the Bernice Johnson Dancers and Comedian “Moms” Mabley. Plus Ruby Braff, Bud Freeman, Pee Wee Russell, Shorty Baker, Snookie Young, Percy Brice, and Ben Tucker.
A number of stories from the festival that caught our attention – a column by Carl Apone wrote about a “long awaited $20,000 improvement to the Civic Arena’s sound system” that would get its first real test from the Jazz Festival – to be followed by a concert by Nat King Cole for the Civic Light Opera season July 6, 1964. In that same column, Carl Apone noted that ticket sales were lagging just a week before the festival – sales of only $3,500 towards the $30,000 talent budget alone. Whatever happened next, total sales ended up at about $36,000. The “acid test” was the rehearsal for the Festival before doors opened on June 19, 1964 – for the biggest sound system in the region at the time.
Part of the positive net financials came from a cancellation – Sarah Vaughan was scheduled to attend – but cancelled shortly before the Festival. As noted in several articles , the $2,700 cancellation refund from the Sarah Vaughan booking was enough to swing the festival into a profit for the weekend. Making a profit helped lead to the return of the festival in 1965 with a 3 day event.
The sponsor of the event was the Catholic Youth Organization under the direction of the Rev. Michael Williams, with the encouragement of the leader of the Pittsburgh Diocese, Bishop John Wright. Governor William Scranton and former Governor David L. Lawrence served as honorary Chairmen. Mayor Joseph Barr issued a proclamation declaring “June is Jazz Month.”
The producers of the Festival were Mary Lou Williams and legendary festival promoter George Wein.
We’ll talk about the festival, and play some of the music that relates to it on The Scene – Also, a revisit to a chat with adoptive Pittsburgh jazz artist and author Deanna Witkowski – currently finalizing work on her PhD in Jazz Studies at Pitt – she did research on the importance of Mary Lou Williams’ Pittsburgh connections in getting the festival started.
Thursday night at six, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday afternoon at 5 on WZUM.
Pittsburg, PA
$60,000 fundraiser with local McDonald’s and Pittsburgh Penguins supports projects at Ronald McDonald House Morgantown – Dominion Post
Every year, around 300 families with children in need of specialized services offered by local hospitals find comfort at Ronald McDonald House Morgantown.
During the 2023–24 hockey season, community members, the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team and local McDonald’s restaurants joined forces to raise approximately $60,000 to support the mission and operations of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Pittsburgh and Morgantown.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are no strangers to the RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown, and a collaboration between the organizations was a natural choice. Beginning September of last year and running for six months, local McDonald’s restaurants sold $6 insulated drink sleeves featuring Pittsburgh Penguins and McDonald’s branding, donating a portion of proceeds to the RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown. By the promotion’s end, $60,000 had been raised for the Pittsburgh and Morgantown houses.
“It is a tremendous gift. We’re incredibly grateful to have the support of two major organizations, and also the community who purchased the sleeves,” said RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown CEO Eleanor Reigel. “The generosity shown by the community of people, when I think about it, is awe-inspiring. They don’t know who they’re helping, but they want to help, and I think that says it all.”
While the community may not know who specifically they are helping with their donations, they know who RMHC is designed to support — families seeking specialized medical care from regional experts at Morgantown’s renowned hospitals, and some of the most inspiring and courageous individuals Reigel has met.
Families staying at the Morgantown house are often caring for children struggling with genetic disorders, organ failure, premature birth, cancer or other rare or complex conditions that require regular visits or stays at local hospitals. Amid such a difficult time in the family’s life, Reigel emphasizes the importance of keeping the family close and free from additional stressors.
“In Morgantown, the hospital has expanded and increased their medical specialties to better serve the communities of West Virginia,” said Reigel. “I’m thrilled to be part of the support system to help mom, dad, grandparents, whoever is involved in the care, to really give them an opportunity to rest and have some peace while they’re addressing whatever concerns they have for their sick child.”
Ronald McDonald House Morgantown is more than just a place to rest your head, it’s somewhere to find support, a warm meal, a helping hand with chores and more.
For over 30 years, the Morgantown house has provided guests with comfortable private rooms, 24/7 staff, laundry facilities and supplies, linen services, one or two fresh meals per week, pantries stocked with comfort foods and communal relaxation or entertainment areas. Its proximity to WVU Medicine Children’s hospital makes it easy for families to visit their child in treatment — one less matter for families to consider, and one more way RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown has kept families’ attention undivided and focused on their child’s care.
“We consider the family a very close unit, and I think our mission emphasizes the importance of keeping the family together during this journey they’re on,” said Reigel. “We really just try to think of everything that we could possibly provide to mom and dad, so they don’t have to worry about even the simplest things. It’s all those little things, really, that make it really important.”
Funds raised by the promotion will support RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown’s general operations and a variety of projects between the two houses. Both houses require regular maintenance and beautification, including paint touch-ups, security updates and heating and cooling unit replacements. One of the major ongoing projects is one that many visitors to Morgantown might be familiar with: the renovation of the Morgantown house, which began September of last year. The Morgantown house’s renovation will add 11 more rooms and renovate existing rooms. Construction is expected to complete by this fall.
Proceeds from the collaboration fundraiser with the Pittsburgh Penguins and local McDonald’s may fund this project and more. To further support RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown, find donation and volunteer opportunities at rmhcpgh-mgtn.org.
This July, RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown will commemorate its 45th anniversary with a celebration for its families, donors and board members. Further details will be available at rmhcpgh-mgtn.org
Pittsburg, PA
New aquatic-themed flower show opens in Pittsburgh this weekend
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) — A lot is going on in Pittsburgh this weekend, from the Pirates starting a home stand at PNC Park to runners hitting the streets for the Pittsburgh Marathon.
There is also a new flower show opening at Phipps Conservatory. The “Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea” officially opens on Saturday to the public. And while you won’t need a swimsuit or snorkel for this show, you will catch a wave of ocean vibes if you decide to stop by.
Mike Bechtel, the indoor display manager at Phipps, said that there is a lot to love about this new show.
“I love being immersed at the like the bottom of the ocean,” said Bechtel. “That’s kind of what you are going to see when you walk through the show. You are going to be seeing things in the air that are normally swimming in the ocean. So, it’s really like you’re crawling along the bottom of the sea.”
This aquatic-themed show has been a massive undertaking for Phipps. Planning for the show started at this time last year, and the team at the conservator has been building out this show for the last three weeks.
“You are going to see a lot of topiaries, which are planted frames,” said Bechtel. “So, we put little plug plants in each topiary. And as they grow out, it just gives a different texture. You are also going to see some animatronic stuff involved in the plants, but the highlight I love is the plant pallet. It’s so neat. Everything’s just weird and oddly shaped. It’s all very tropical. So nothing you are going to find in your own backyard.”
Now, if you want to make the summer flower show part of your world, the show runs through the first week of September.
Pittsburg, PA
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at TacoMania
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