Jazz concert united innovators

In 1970, Nathan Davis, head of Pitt’s Jazz Studies, founded an annual seminar and concert… In 1970, Nathan Davis, head of Pitt’s Jazz Studies, founded an annual seminar and concert to bring well-known jazz talents to Pitt to teach and perform for students.

This year, the 33rd seminar and concert took place Oct. 28 through Nov. 2. It featured a concert with a montage of jazz greats. Along with seminars and lectures, a jazz exhibition and an outreach program to area schools and community centers took place.

The Saturday evening concert, which sold out the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, featured saxophonists Davis, James Moody and Jackie McLean; trumpet players Jon Faddis and Randy Brecker; electric bassist Abraham Laboriel; pianist Mulgrew Miller; guitarist Pat Martino; and drummer Billy Cobham.

According to Davis, the concert was so distinguished because all the players were innovators, and the group had never played together before – and may never assemble again.

“Each of the musicians that are invited are handpicked. They are each leaders in their own right, and now they come together to form an all-star group,” Davis said. “In a lot of other programs, they just invite a band.”

Legendary trumpeter Clark Terry performed and was honored with a lifetime achievement award during the concert.

Davis said Terry influenced every trumpet player there is, including Miles Davis.

“He was sitting in a wheelchair and he was playing his ass off,” said Davis, a professor at Pitt. “It just shows you the spirit that was there.”

Also announced at the concert were this year’s International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame inductees. Twenty-eight jazz historians, critics and musicians from all over the globe chose to induct bandleader Fletcher Henderson, saxophonist Zoot Sims and pianist Hank Jones.

The seminars and lectures, held earlier in the week, were open to Pitt students and were audio recorded and videotaped, to be added to the jazz archives that have been collected over the past 32 years.

“We might have one of the best collections in the world,” Davis said.

An exhibition, featuring a Leedy xylophone once owned by Lionel Hampton and other memorabilia, such as Mary Lou Williams’ piano, was on display throughout the week in the Conney M. Kimbo Gallery.

Pitt jazz students were able to perform alongside the jazz musicians at various schools and charities throughout the community. The outreach program included concerts at the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, the Falk Laboratory School, the Ronald McDonald House and the Afro-American Music Institute.