The second episode of “Jazz Talk” was livestreamed on the music department’s YouTube channel Wednesday night as part of the 50th Pitt Jazz Seminar, in honor of former jazz studies directors Nathan Davis and Geri Allen.

Many scholars of fine arts consider themselves to be masters of one discipline, such as music, or painting or poetry. Some Pitt students had the opportunity last semester to take a class that challenged that notion.

Nathan Davis, a former professor at Pitt’s department of music and renowned jazz musician, died on Sunday from natural causes. He was 81. Davis came to Pitt in 1969 as the director of the jazz studies...