Labor Day heralds jazz celebration

“Celebrate Jazz” The Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Labor Day, 1-6 p.m. Flagstaff… “Celebrate Jazz” The Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Labor Day, 1-6 p.m. Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park Free Admission (412) 255-8975

Nature and musical improvisation join forces on Monday for “Celebrate Jazz.” Local and national jazz artists will perform their hearts out in a green pasture – Flagstaff Hill – come rain, shine or treble clefs.

There are six diverse acts performing a range of styles – jazz funk, Latin jazz, vocal jazz and organ jazz – scheduled at the top of each hour from 1 through 6 p.m. Dwayne Dolphin, a bassist and Pittsburgh native, will kick off the event in a jazz-funk fusion.

Salsamba and the Three Rivers Jazz Orchestra will take the stage at 2 and 3 p.m. respectively, followed by a brother-sister duo – soloist Maureen Budway and pianist David Budway.

Organist Joey DeFrancesco, who has toured and recorded with Miles Davis, will end the concert. Such a gathering of talented musicians promises much more than a picnic.

Perched on a hillside, Flagstaff Hill provides an ideal atmosphere to enjoy perhaps the rawest kind of musical expression that deeply roots itself in American history and culture. Expect to hear many of the jazz fundamentals, like syncopation, swing and improvisation.

Citiparks and MCG Jazz are co-presenting the festival, with MCG celebrating 20 years of work to strengthen Pittsburgh’s jazz community.

“The City of Pittsburgh boasts an extremely rich history of jazz music,” Deputy Mayor Yarone Zober said in an interview. The Citiparks’ jazz series performs in the Riverview and Highland Parks, but this is a special event for Schenley.