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.