Jimmy Greene (tenor saxophone) and Payton Crossley (drums) completed the group, which seemed to be communicating on a higher wavelength.įollowing the set, Janis Burley Wilson, president and CEO of the AWAACC and driving force behind the PIJF, presented Carter with the festival’s 2022 Luminary Award, thanking him for “85 years of light.” The festivities continued at the Wilson Center all night with A Taste of Jazz, which included jam sessions led by pianist Orrin Evans and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Frank Lacy. Pianist Renee Rosnes sounded especially fiery throughout the evening, angular and aggressive one moment, digging deep into “My Funny Valentine” the next. When Carter hit a double-stop that slid up the neck, the weight and clarity of his tone were breathtaking. It sounded as fresh as ever, coming amid a set that flowed from one tune to the next. The esteemed bassist, still looking youthful at 85, clearly hasn’t grown tired of the iconic bassline he created for “Seven Steps to Heaven” with Miles Davis in 1963. On September 16, the 12th Pittsburgh Jazz Festival kicked off at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) with a sold-out concert by Ron Carter Foursight. The sound was fine for anyone sitting in the stadium seats, but most attendees opted to get closer, setting up their own folding chairs on the field, shifting between the stages with each act. Admission was no longer free, but a one- or two-day pass granted access to seven acts each day. Last summer, the festival came back with a twist: The two-day event moved across the Monongahela River to Highmark Stadium, with multiple stages set up on the artificial turf field that serves as home to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team. While the festival, which began in 2011, also featured some indoor ticketed concerts, the outdoor events were free to anyone lured in by the music. Over one weekend in June, Downtown thoroughfares Penn Avenue or Liberty Avenue were closed off to traffic to make room for three stages. JazzTimes: A post-pandemic move from the street to the stadium is paying dividendsįor years, the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) took place on the street.
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